


The Angels of Arven

by angelholme



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 113,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21650671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelholme/pseuds/angelholme
Summary: Magical Britain has fallen, and Voldemort is The Emperor - uncontested master of all he surveys.And yet people are vanishing - being rescued from cells and saved from execution - by a mysterious organisation. A group that comes without warning and leaves havoc in their wake.A group known only as The Angels of Arven.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer**
> 
> Neville Longbottom (et al) belong to JK Rowling.
> 
> The Scarlett Pimpernal (et al) belong to Baroness Emma Orczy.
> 
> _Notes_
> 
> My entry for NaNoWriMo 2019 - an idea that has been bouncing around in my head for a while, and eventually came to fruition. 
> 
> It was started on the 1st of November, completed on the 28th but "won" on the 9th. 
> 
> Enjoy.

"Cho Chang. Ronald Weasley. You have been convicted of treason, sedition, criminal damage, murder, property damage, incitement to riot, incitement to commit violence and helping enemies of the state. The sentence for treason is death. The sentence for sedition is death. The sentence for murder is death. The sentence for helping enemies of the state is death. Because of the wilful and wanton nature of your crimes, the court has no hesitation in passing the maximum sentence on both of you" The judge stared down at them, then slowly lifted the black hood from the table, and placed it on his head.

"You will be taken from this court and returned to your cells for one hour. After that, you will be escorted from your cells to The Death Chamber. There you will be executed by firing squad" He paused "Do you have any last words before you are removed from this place?"

"You can kill us, but you cannot kill what we stand for" Cho replied, staring back at him calmly but intently "You, and your dark master, will never triumph and your days are numbered"

"The resistance will rise and free our country" Ron added in the same calm voice "No matter how many of us you kill, we will not be silenced and we will not be defeated"

"Take them away" The judge ordered. Cho and Ron turned to see two red robed Aurors walking up beside them.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way" The first Auror said.

"We won't struggle or try to fight you" Cho replied "What good would it do?"

"Very well - come with us" The second Auror gestured to the stairs leading down to the cells.

xoxox

Ten minutes later, the Aurors slammed the cell door behind them, leaving Ron and Cho sat on the twin beds in the holding cell.

"Any regrets?" She asked.

"I regret not taking more of them with us" Ron replied "You?"

"I regret not going to The Ball with Harry" She said, and Ron laughed.

"I think Parvati regrets going to The Ball with Harry, so I'm not sure you missed out on much" He grinned "So - we've got an hour to kill. Any suggestions?"

"If we had pens and paper I'd suggest a marathon game of noughts and crosses" She said, then she grinned "Ever play the picnic game?"

xoxox

Fifty minutes later, two Aurors walked up to the cell and opened the door.

".....and I am taking an anthropomorphic apple, a big bald bellowing buffoon, a colourful clown, a dying diplodocus, an excited elephant, a funky fridge, a gallivanting giraffe, a hungry, hungry hippo, an ingenious iguana, a jumping jack, a lovely lady ready for the fight, a masturbating mastodon, a neuropathic nexus and a pair of Aurors who have come to lead us to our death" Cho stared at Ron.

"That doesn't start with O" He said.

"No, Miss Chang" The Auror on the left said "But your time is up and you have to come with us" Ron and Cho exchanged looks, then both stood up.

"You don't have to do this, you know" Ron said "You could just let us go"

"If you don't start walking, we will stun you and levitate you there" The Auror on the right snapped "Now move it" Ron slipped his hand in to Cho's, then they both walked out of the cell.

They walked down the corridor towards The Death Chamber, then one of The Aurors stopped as they found their path blocked by two young women. They were dressed in jeans, trainers and t-shirts that read "Don't piss me off - I am running out of places to hide the bodies"

"Stand aside. We are on official business" The first Auror said.

"We know" The woman on the left - she was in her late teens and spoke with a slight French accent "Unfortunately you have something we require, and we are not going to leave without it"

"Excuse me?" The Auror stared at her.

"We are here for Miss Chang and Mister Weasley" The young woman continued "And we are not going to leave without them - our boss would be angry if we returned empty handed and believe me - you would not like her if she was angry"

"So you either turn them over to us, and we will leave you in peace" The second woman said. She was around the same age and spoke with the same slight accent "Or we will take them by force" The Auror stared at him, then laughed.

"Two kids against two of The Ministry's finest?" He said with a sneer "I think you over-estimate your chances, young lady"

"It is not two against two" He felt a wand pressed against his ear, and realised that his colleague had walked up behind him "Please be so good as to drop your wand, otherwise I will blow your head off and you will die"

"But Jason....."

"My name is not Jason. My name is Kenny, and these are my friends Blake and Percy" The two women gave polite nods "So what's it to be, Jo? Are you going to turn your prisoners over to us, or are you going to die - at which point we will take them anyway?" The Auror didn't move for a moment, then he dropped his wand and raised his hand.

"A wise choice" Blake said from her position on the left "Ron, Cho - please come here" Ron and Cho walked forward without hesitation until they were stood in front of Percy and Blake. Percy handed them each a small flower "Say Angel three times"

"Angel Angel Angel"  
"Angel Angel Angel"

They both vanished, and Blake smiled.

"Mister Green? You can come out now. We're leaving" She called out. A moment later, a tall man with black hair emerged from an alcove, holding his wand by his side.

"No wards triggered, no alarms raised" He said "I believe we can go without any problems"

"Very well" The second Auror stripped off the robe covering him revealing a man the same age as the two women with blonde hair and bright silver eyes "Ladies? Gentleman?"

"Angel Angel Angel"  
"Angel Angel Angel"  
"Angel Angel Angel"

He watched as they vanished, then he looked at the remaining Auror.

"I realise you will get into trouble for this, but you work for a fascist government and you execute people because you are told to, so I am not that sorry for what will happen to you" He paused "Have a nice day"

"Who are you?" The Auror asked, staring up at him.

"We are The Angels of Arven" Kenny gave a polite nod "And for now, I bid you farewell. Angel Angel Angel"

xoxox

He reappeared in a stone chamber to see Blake and Percy stood to one side as Ron and Cho were talking to Mister Green.

"Neville?" Ron stared at his friend "We thought you were dead"

"So did I" Neville admitted "It's a long story, but my friends here rescued me before I was arrested" He smiled at the trio of French students "And I think you're going to find a lot of old friends when you meet the rest of our group"

"There are others?" Cho asked.

"Quite a few" He nodded "They - we - have been doing this a while" He paused "We'll explain all of this tomorrow, and over the next few weeks, but for now I think you two should get some rest"

"I know you are probably still a little hyper from escaping certain death" Blake walked forward "But pretty soon you are going to start to come down from that, and you'll need to rest" She smiled "If you'd like to go with Neville, he will show you where the dorms are, and you can get some rest and maybe even a little sleep"

"Then - once you're rested, and fed, we can talk about what happens next" Percy continued "You can either stay out of the fight, and live here until the government falls and order is restored in Britain, or you can train to be part of our group"

"What group?" Ron looked at them curiously, but Cho smiled.

"You're them, aren't you?"

"Yes" Blake nodded.

"Them?" Ron asked.

"We're The Angels of Arven" Blake said with a smile "And it is a pleasure to meet you"


	2. Hermione's Army

The following morning, Madame Olympe Maxime stood at the front of her school, hands clasped behind her back, watching as The French Minister of Magic strode down the path towards her.

"Good morning Minister Duvall" She said as Antoinette Duvall came to a halt in front of her.

"What makes you think that, Headmistress?" Antoinette asked in a dark voice, then she smiled "Good morning, Headmistress"

"May I invite you in for breakfast?"

"That depends" The Minister replied "Will I find any wanted criminals in your grand hall?"

"There are no wanted criminals here, 'Net" Olympe shook her head "We had some new transfer students arrive last night, and - as is our tradition - we granted them temporary citizenship until the end of their course"

"And when might that be?" Antoinette asked with a wry smile.

"I must confess I am not certain - this new crop of transfer students are very thick, and not all that good at their studies" Olympe paused "It might take years. Maybe even decades" Antoinette laughed.

"Very well - please lead the way" She fell into step beside the Headmistress, and together they walked up the steps and into the school.

xoxox

"Good morning Neville" Ron said as he sat down next to his friend as Neville was eating his breakfast "I was wondering if I could talk to Percy, Blake and Kenny?"

"No" Neville shook his head. Ron stared at him for a moment.

"No?"

"No" Neville shook his head again "Ever since I have arrived, I've been the liaison to The Angels. If you want to talk to them, you can talk to me and I will talk to them"

"Why?"

"Because no one knows who they are" Neville lowered his knife and fork "They are Voldemort's most wanted - public enemies number one, two and three" He paused "Their identities are known only to themselves and they keep it that way"

"You don't....." Ron started, and Neville smiled.

"I know they go by the codenames Percy, Blake and Kenny" He waved his fork around the grand hall, taking in all the students sat at the various tables "They could be anyone here. Or not"

"So no one knows?"

"I think the Headmistress does, but she might be the only person" Neville said thoughtfully "Anyway - if you want to talk to them, you can talk to me. I will then arrange a meeting with them and they will decide if they want to talk to you" He paused "I know it seems like an inefficient way to do things, but it is for their safety, and since I owe them my life I am not going to do anything to risk theirs" Ron looked at him for a moment, then nodded.

"I want to talk to them about my family" He paused "They are still in danger and I want to know if they can be rescued"

"I will talk to them, but....." Neville trailed off, then he suddenly got to his feet. Ron stared at him, then realised the rest of the students were also standing up. He looked around and saw two women entering the grand hall. One he recognised from The Tri-Wizard Tournament, but the other was new to him.

"The Minister of Magic - Antoinette Duvall" Neville said "Someone for whom you should stand when she enters a room" Ron gave him a wry smile.

"And I was supposed to know that how?" He asked, then got to his feet. Olympe and Antoinette progressed down the centre aisle, and then walked round the staff table.

"Thank you" Antoinette said "Please sit - get on with your breakfast. I know you all have a hard day of study ahead of you and I wouldn't want you to go hungry" There was a wave of laughter, and the students started to retake their seats.

"For the few......" She glanced at Olympe then looked back at the assembled student body "..... transfer students who arrived last night, and therefore might not know who I am, my name is Antoinette Duvall and I have the honour of serving as Minister of Magic for The French Parliament of Mages" She smiled "This morning, I had the pleasure of having a man named Corban Yaxley in my office" Ron saw Neville tense slightly.

"Mister Yaxley is, for my sins, the Ambassador to France for The British Ministry of Magic. He was in my office today, demanding that I return two criminals that escaped justice yesterday - apparently there was a brutal raid that left twenty Aurors dead, another thirty injured and parts of The Ministry in flames" She paused "Mister Yaxley said that, under our obligations and treaties, we are required to hand over any escaped criminals who have committed such heinous crimes and anyone who has aided and abetted their crimes"

"Of course the treaties and obligations only apply to British citizens" Olympe interjected "And since we only have French citizens in our school, Minister Duvall was forced to send him away empty handed" There were a few cheers and a little applause.

"So - welcome to the new transfer students. I hope you enjoy your time here, and I am sure that Madame Maxime will your stay here as pleasurable as possible" Antoinette finished "For now, I will simply say enjoy your breakfast and - as always - have a nice day at school"

xoxox

"We are French citizens?" Ron asked in surprise.

"It is part of the extraction process" Neville nodded, returning to his breakfast as The Minister sat down "The temporary papers are drawn up before we leave, and the moment you arrive in France, you are granted temporary citizenship" He smiled as he took a bite of sausage "It ensures that the government can't be forced to send you back"

"At all?"

"The Ministry - the British one - would have to make their case to the International Confederation" Neville said with a slight laugh "And since The Minister, most of his staff and The Emperor are all wanted war criminals we are fairly sure that is not going to happen" He took another bite of the sausage, then started cutting up his eggs.

"What about my family?" Ron asked.

"I will talk to them this afternoon" Neville said. Ron opened his mouth, but Neville held up his fork.

"I know that wasn't what you wanted to hear, Ron, but there's something you have to understand" He paused, working out how best to phrase what he wanted to say "There are a lot of people in Britain who need saving, and they..... we can't save everyone" He took a deep breath "If we return too often, we risk being caught and killed, so we have to pick our fights"

"So you aren't going to save them?" Ron said darkly.

"I didn't say that" Neville replied "All I am saying is that we have a finite number of resources, and we have a lot of people to save. I know you want your family to be safe, but my grandmother is still there, the Creevey's parents are still there - there are a lot of people who are still in danger, and we have to save those who are in most danger" Ron gazed at him for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay" He nodded "But can you at least promise you will talk to them?"

"I will talk to them this afternoon" Neville said, then he looked up as two students walked over "Francis, River - may I introduce Ron Weasley"

"Ron - short for Ronald?" River asked in a lilting accent.

"Yes" Ron smiled "It is a pleasure to meet you, both"

"No doubt we will see more of you later" Francis said, then she looked at Neville "I have our part of the assignment tonight. Can we come by your room at seven ish?"

"Of course" Neville nodded "I'll see you then" The two girls nodded, then turned and walked off. Ron watched then go then turned back to Neville.

"Both of them?" He asked with a slight smile.

"Not what you think" Neville replied, nodding his head after them. Ron turned, and watched as - just as River and Francis walked out of the grand hall - Francis slipper her hand into River's.

"Oh" Ron looked back at Neville "Okay" He shrugged "So - if I am going to here for a while, do you have any advice?" Neville smiled.

"You should start the day with a good breakfast - they work you hard at this school"

xoxox

Olympe and Antoinette walked out of the grand hall and through the corridors of Beauxbatons until they reached the Headmistress' office.

"The dawn breaks, the sun rises, the birds sing" Olympe said and the door to her office swung open.

"Minister" She gestured, and Antoinette walked in to the office with Olympe following behind. The Minister took a seat on the sofa, while Olympe sat on her desk.

"So, Olympe, I take it the paperwork is in order? If The ICW come knocking on my door, I won't have to fudge anything or tell any outright lies?" Antoinette asked.

"No lies" Olympe shook her head "Ron Weasley and Cho Chang are now temporary citizens of France, and will be so until either they voluntarily give up their status, or they commit a crime on French soil" She paused "Needless to say I am certain they won't do the second" Antoinette gave a soft laugh.

"Some day you are going to have to tell me what compelled you to set up this arrangement for so many British refugees" She said "And just what The Angels have over you to get you to go along with it"

"What makes you think they have anything over me?" Olympe said with a smile "What makes you think I am not doing this out of the goodness of my heart?" Antoinette arched her eyebrows.

"The girl I spent nine years at school with didn't seem the type to do anything out of pure altruism" She remarked.

"The girl you spent nine years at school with didn't watch Britain fall into hell" Olympe replied "She didn't watch a monster take over magical Britain and start killing people just because they had the wrong blood. She didn't watch a monster put dozens of people to death because they were just like her" She stopped and took a deep breath.

"It's true that I wasn't that nice a person when I was at school" She continued "I mean - I wasn't a monster, but I could have been more of an...... angel" She grinned "If you will excuse the phrase" She paused, then her face fell "But what's going on in Britain?" She stared at Antoinette "They are killing half breeds, and mudbloods, and people just like me, Toni" She shook her head "The Angels didn't have to convince me to do this, or force me to do this, or bribe me to do this. They barely had to ask"

xoxox

Cho and Ron walked through the school, looking around.

"This is pretty nice" Cho said "Just feels slightly weird being in a school that isn't a castle"

"Neville said that it used to be a convent" Ron replied.

"What's a convent?" Cho turned to look at him.

"It is - was - home to a religious order" A voice said from behind them. They turned to see a boy around their age with silver hair and hazel eyes leaning against the wall "The Order of The Nuns of Catherine Dumas. During the heliopath wars of the 17th century the convent was saved by a group of witches from an attacking flock of heliopaths"

"Heliopaths aren't real" Ron said, but the boy simply sighed.

"The history is very well documented, Mister Weasley" He said calmly "Anyway - The Order was so grateful, and so scared, that they left the convent for points south and allowed the witches to turn it into a school" He waved his hand around "Beaxubatons Academy for Exceptional Witches and Wizards has stood here ever since" He stood up "My name is Jayce McConnell"

"Cho Chang"

"Ron Weasley"

"Our newest refugees" Jayce nodded "Whenever The Angels rescue anyone, news tends to spread pretty quickly" He smiled "Welcome to Beauxbatons - I hope you enjoy your stay"

"Thank you" Cho said with a smile "Jayce isn't a French name, is it?" She looked at him questioningly "Your accent is good, but it sounds like there is something else in there as well?" Jayce tilted his head to one side.

"That's quite impressive, Miss Chang" He said after a moment "We transferred here after our parents were killed in a car accident"

"We?" Ron asked.

"A car accident?" Cho looked at him questioningly.

"River and I" Jayce said "She's my twin sister"

"I met her at lunch" Ron nodded "And her.... girlfriend?"

"Francis" Jayce smiled "Her father took us in, and since none of us could bare living in Canada any more, we moved here. Madame Maxime agreed to let us transfer into the fourth year" He paused "Anyway - we've been here ever since, and although we miss Toronto, and our old school, we have come to love Beauxbatons as a second home"

"Sounds nice" Cho looked around "Do you think we'll come to think of it the same way?"

"I suppose that depends on how long you're going to be here" Jayce smiled "We're here because we want to be - not because our country has been overrun by a crazy person with delusions of grandeur" He paused "Sorry, that might have come out a bit blunter than I meant"

"Might have?" Cho laughed.

"My apologies" Jayce gave an apologetic nod "I will try to be more circumspect with my choice of words in future" He glanced at his watch "I am afraid I have to be going, but no doubt we'll see each other again"

"No doubt" Ron replied.

"Enjoy the rest of your walk, and if you need any help you'll find all of our students eager to help" He turned and started walking down the corridor.

"What about The Angels?" Ron called after him, and Jayce stopped and turned round.

"Pardon me?"

"What about The Angels?" Ron repeated "Are they eager to help?"

"I am not sure I understand your question" Jayce folded his arms.

"Who are they? Where can I find them? Can I talk to them?"

"Neville Longbottom - you know him, yes?"

"We do" Cho nodded.

"He is the main liaison between the rescued and The Angels, from what I understand" Jayce said "And if any of us need to talk to them - which doesn't happen all that often, but has on occasion - we talk to Neville as well"

"So no one talks to them directly"

"No one knows who they are, Mister Weasley" Jayce replied "Their identities are hidden for their own protection so that when they go out to save lives, their families, their friends and their loved ones remain safe - they won't be targeted for reprisals by anyone from Britain or from France or anywhere else" He paused "It is the only way that they, and everyone else, can be safe" He smiled "If you want to talk to them, talk to Neville. He will ensure your message is heard"

xoxox

"So when will I see you again?" Olympe asked as she escorted Antoinette down to the gate.

"Can you tell me when The Angels will be going out again?" Antoinette asked in response.

"No"

"But they will be going out again" This time it wasn't a question, but Olympe replied anyway.

"That much is certain, Minister" She nodded.

"Then we can either arrange to have dinner sometime soon, or we can wait until some more transfer students arrive and I am visited by the redoutable Mister Yaxley again" Antoinette said with a smile.

"I can't wait" They stopped at the gates "Take care, Minister, and I will see you when I see you"

"You too, Madame Headmistress"

xoxox

Neville walked down the corridor towards the grand hall, then he stopped in front of a large tapestry depicting a large fire burning through the centre of Paris.

"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana" He said quietly. A second later, the fire became animated and started to burn sideways until it parted in the middle leaving a black void. Neville looked around, then walked into the void.

As he vanished through it, the fire burned back into place, leaving the tapestry as it had been before.

xoxox

Neville walked into the chamber, and sat down at the circular table with a small brass bell at the centre. He reached out and tapped it once, letting the sonorous chime ring through the chamber, then leaned back in his chair. 

He looked around at the various pictures on the wall, then he turned back as a door opened at the far end and Blake walked in.

"Good afternoon Neville" She said with a warm smile "Percy and Kenny send their apologies, but they cannot get away"

"I understand" Neville replied "I admit I am here on short notice, but I wasn't certain this could wait"

"Sounds serious" She dropped into the seat opposite him at the table, then she waved her hand and the bell slowly descended before vanishing into the table "So - tell me everything"

"You remember Ron Weasley? We extracted him from The Ministry last night?"

"It was last night" She smiled "I realise I am older than when we met, but I am not yet senile" Neville blushed.

"I didn't mean to suggest anything - I just thought that since we'd rescued quite a few people since we started this....." He trailed off as he realised she was grinning at him "And you're teasing me"

"Hey - I'm old, I have to get my fun where I can" He rolled his eyes "Anyway - Ron?"

"Ron talked to me at breakfast - he wants to rescue his family" She gazed at him.

"How many would that be?" She asked.

"Mother, two or three brothers and a sister" Neville replied "I think two of them were involved in The Battle of Diagon Alley, so there is a good chance they are already on The Ministry's wanted list"

"And if The Minister sent Yaxley to see Minister Duvall, then there is a fair to good chance he would go after Mister Weasley's family either to punish Ron or to use as leverage" Blake nodded.

"He makes a good case to rescue them. The Weasleys have been on the side of light since the first war and are loyal through and through. Which means they will be high priority targets - now more than ever" Neville said seriously "And if they are killed it will be a serious blow to the great and the good - both in terms of manpower and morale"

"The problem is everything you have said means The Minister and The Ministry will be watching them" Blake replied "The Weasleys will be a very, very hard target to extract. Even more so because of the numbers involved" She leaned forward "I understand what we risk by leaving them where they are, but you - more than anyone - understand what we are doing here"

"I do" Neville nodded.

"And you understand the choices we have to make. And that sometimes those choices mean making sacrifices that we don't want to make but have no other choice" She continued.

"I do" Neville said again.

"Don't misunderstand me" She said after a moment "I am not dismissing the idea out of hand. I will take it to the others, and we will give it the most serious of thought" She rested her hands on the table "If we can find a way to rescue Mister Weasley's family without putting the mission, or any of the rest of us, in serious jeopardy, then we will go ahead and get them"

"Okay" Neville smiled.

"But we won't do it until we can be certain that we can" She said "Even if that means risking their lives until then" She stood up and walked round the table to stand next to him, then went down on one knee "I realise I am asking a lot of you, since it will be you who Ron gets mad at when you tell him this, but I am pretty sure that will be the decision of the group"

"I can handle Ron, Blake" Neville said "And don't worry about asking too much of me" He leaned over and kissed her cheek "They would have tortured me to insanity and beyond if you, Percy and Kenny hadn't stopped them. I owe you everything and there is nothing I would not do for you"

"Nothing?" Blake quirked an eyebrow. Neville tilted his head to one side.

"Well - okay, maybe a few things" He admitted. Blake laughed, then stood up.

"I will meet with the others later, and we'll talk. We'll let you know when we have decided" She said.

"Thank you" He stood up "Say hi to the others for me"

"Always"

xoxox

"There have been others" Percy said. She, Kenny and Blake were meeting two hours later in the same chamber "This could be a chance to make a statement"

"Who?" Blake asked.

"Cho has been worried about Orla - a Ravenclaw a few years below her" Percy said "And Dennis and Colin were talking about Justin"

"There's also been mention of Hannah and Susan" Kenny folded his arms "And more importantly Susan's aunt"

"The Head of The DMLE?" Percy arched her eyebrows.

"Former head" Kenny said "She's on the run and in hiding - if we could find her and bring her here that would make for quite a coup"

"It would also piss off The Ministry to a huge extent" Blake pointed out "Do you think we should warn our friends first? It will bring an unholy amount of crap down on their collective heads"

"If we decide to go, then I will let them know" Percy nodded "So the next question is do we go for all four of them plus Ron's family? Or just limit our targets?" They all stayed silent for a moment, then Percy leaned forward.

"I think that, if we take a strong enough force and plan this properly, we can extract each group in turn, but we will have to change the way we do it" She smiled.

"What do you mean?" Kenny asked.

"Do you remember the last quidditch match? When Notre Dame played The Tour Effiel?" She leaned back in her chair "Remember what two of the chasers did right before the seeker caught the snitch?" Kenny stared at her blankly for a moment, then his eyes went wide.

"We will be abandoning our usual method of get in and get out without being noticed" He said.

"On the other hand, if we extract Hannah and her family, Susan and her aunt, Justin, Orla and five Weasleys in one day I think that we are going to be noticed anyway" Blake pointed out with a smile. Kenny tilted his head in acknowledgement.

"So" He asked "What do you suggest?"

"First I think we need to talk to The Angel, and ask her to talk to our friend" Blake said "Then...... then we can get creative"

xoxox

That evening, Neville walked into the dorm where Ron had been assigned and sat down on the end of his bed.

"So I have news" He said calmly. Ron stared back at him.

"Is it good news?" He asked.

"That depends on your point of view, I suppose" Neville said "The Angels have called a team meeting for tomorrow night. They have decided to launch an unprecedented series of extractions within the bounds of magical Britain tomorrow"

"They are going after my family?" Ron looked at him hopefully.

"Along with Hannah Abbott and her family, Susan Bones and her aunt Amelia and Justin Finch-Fletchly and his fiance Orla Quirke" Neville nodded.

"Brilliant" Ron said, but Neville raised his hand.

"That is the good news" He continued "I do have bad news for you"

"Okay....." Ron stared at him.

"You can't come with us" Neville said in a calm voice. A look of anger flashed across Ron's face, but it vanished a moment later.

"Let me guess - since I have just arrived at Beauxbatons, I haven't had a chance to train, or learn anything about what you do?" He said with a self-deprecating smile.

"It's nothing personal, Ron" Neville said in a kind tone "We all know how good you are, and there are enough members of Hermione's Army to vouch for your skills and abilities" He paused "However we've all been training together and working together for a long time"

"And when you go to Britain you need to work together as a team, and be able to trust in each other" Ron nodded "I understand"

"If you and Cho want to train with us, I can talk to them about it" Neville said "But it won't happen before we leave tomorrow" He paused "But what you can do is come to the meeting and tell us about The Burrow"

"The Burrow?" Ron frowned "What can I tell you about that?"

"If we are going to extract your family from there, then we'll need to know the grounds, the layout of the building, any secret ways in and out and the best way to surprise anyone who might be staging an ambush" Neville smiled "You might not be able to come on the extraction but you can guide it"

"Okay - yes" Ron nodded "I can do that"

xoxox

The following morning, Francis and River sat down opposite Neville at breakfast.

"Good morning, Mister Longbottom" River said with a smile "Is it my imagination or is there a lot going on around here this morning?"

"Is there, Miss McConnell?" Neville returned her smile "I hadn't noticed"

"Really?" Francis looked at him curiously.

"No - I've been too busy to pay attention to what's going on around me" The two girls stared at him, then they both laughed.

"So you aren't going to tell us what's going on?" River asked "I thought we were friends" Neville looked around, then leaned forward.

"Can you keep a secret?" He said in a conspiratorial tone.

"Yes" She replied.

"So can I" He gave her a deadpan smile. She stared back at him.

"There are times when I really don't like you, you know" She said.

"I know" He shrugged "But I know there are times when you love me, so I figure that makes up for it"

"True" She grinned at him "So have you got any further with Sophie?"

xoxox

Neville looked over the group stood in front of him, then at the three students stood by his side.

"Do you want me to begin?" He asked.

"If you would" Kenny nodded. Neville looked back at the group of fourteen students, then raised his hand for quiet. 

"Good evening" He said when the room was silent "As you know, tonight we are discussing four extractions - the most we have done in one go. Because of this, we are altering our usual way of doing things" He glanced down at his notes "Most of you will be in the distraction groups. You get to your targets, cause as much commotion as possible and get out. Don't try to fight The DMLE if they turn up, and do not try to fight the Death Eaters if they turn up" He looked at them with a serious expression "I don't want any of you to die tonight" He let the message sink in.

"Those of you who are in the extraction group - we are going to go to each location in turn" He glanced at the list "We go to The Bones, then The Abbotts, then to Justin and Orla and finally to The Burrow to rescue The Weasleys" He saw Ron frown "The four of us have agreed the order - while we understand that you all have friends in these groups, and that all of you are friends with The Weasleys, we also believe that the are going to be the group under the most surveillance"

"Which means that they will be the hardest to rescue, and the group that will put us in most danger" Blake interjected "We believe we are better off trying to save the others first and leaving the biggest risk until the end" There were a few moments of silence, then Neville continued.

"Despite the fact we are extracting a former head of The DMLE, several members of Hermione's Army and someone who I believe wrangles dragons for a living, we are not going to let them fight once we have them" He said "Every member of the extraction group will have a set of portkeys - these will bring our targets back to the receiving room. They can only be activated by us - not by anyone else - so there is no danger of The Ministry using them to invade the school" He smiled "You find a target, you give them a portkey, you send them back here. Most importantly - you don't give them a choice about it" He looked over at Ron.

"Now - Mister Weasley will give us a quick briefing on the layout of The Burrow, and the best place to stage an ambush....."

xoxox

"........behind the duck pond" Ron finished.

"Thank you" Neville smiled "Since tomorrow is a Saturday, we leave at first light. I advise you all to get a lot of rest. Tomorrow will mark a turning point in our mission, and as such will be one of the most important days in our history so it is important it goes well" He paused "Dismissed" He watched as they started to file out, then saw Ron come over to him and the three Angels.

"I just wanted to say thank you" Ron said "To all of you - I know you are taking a huge risk in doing this, and I am very grateful"

"You are welcome, Mister Weasley" Percy said with a smile "But if you don't mind we are also going to get some sleep - as Neville said, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow"

"Of course" Ron gave a nod "Good luck" He turned and walked out of the room. Blake waited until the door closed behind him, then waved her hand and sealed it. 

"Do you think he knows about his brother?" She asked.

"I have no idea" Neville said "But lets deal with one problem at a time. First we carry out the extractions, and rescue who we can. Then we tell him the truth about Percival"

xoxox

"MINISTER!" Lucius Malfoy looked up from his desk as Antonin Dolohov and Kingsley Shacklebolt ran into his office.

"I take it you have a reason for barging into my office like this?" He asked in a calm voice.

"Diagon Alley, Minister" Kingsley said "It's on fire" Lucius arched his eyebrows.

"There are also reports of attacks in Hogsmeade, sir" Dolohov added.

"Dispatch the Aurors to deal with it" Lucius replied "Arrest anyone found causing a problem - do not kill them. I want prisoners"

"Yes, Minister" They both nodded, then turned and left. Lucius took a deep breath, then stood up and walked to the door.

"I have to go out for a while" He told his secretary "The Emperor will be expecting a report"

"Very well, Minister" She nodded "When should I expect you back?"

"When I return" Lucius said darkly "Because I suspect The Emperor will not be happy with me" He turned and walked off down the corridor.

xoxox

"Director, Miss Bones" Neville - disguised as Mister Green - walked into Susan's living room "My name is Mister Green, and these are my associates, Percy, Blake, Kenny and Miss Lilac" He paused "We have reason to believe that The Emperor is coming for you and we are here to get you out of the country" Percy and Miss Lilac held out a portkey each "If you take these, you will be transported to a safe location in France" Susan and Amelia stared at then in surprise "Please make up your mind quickly - we do not have time to waste" Susan reached out and took the feather than Percy was offering her, and a moment later Amelia reached out and took the bowtie.

"Thargon"  
"Sharknado"

Amelia and Susan vanished in a swirl of light, and Percy turned to face the others.

"Lets go"

xoxox

"YOU ARE ALL UNDER ARREST!" Dolohov yelled at the top of his voice as he and a dozen of his Aurors apparated into Diagon Alley.

"Time to go" Parvati said, and a moment later the six students who had been attacking The Alley vanished in swirls of smoke and portkeys.

"What the hell?" Dolohov looked round "Where'd they go?"

xoxox

Neville apparated into the middle of The Abbotts' front room, then he looked around to see Hannah staring at him and pointing her wand at his head.

"Hannah Abbott - I am with The Angels of Arven" He said calmly, then four more people apparated in beside him "These are my associates - Percy, Kenny, Blake, Miss Lilac and I am Mister Green"

"The Angels? Hannah smiled "Are you here to take us to France?"

"If you wish to go" Neville nodded "We aren't going to force....."

"How soon can we leave?" She demanded, and Neville laughed.

"Your friends were definitely right about you" He said "Are the rest of your family here?"

"Yes" She nodded.

"Can you get them?"

"MUM! DAD! PETER! DOWN HERE! NOW!" She bellowed at the top of her voice.

"I meant could you go and fetch them" Neville said, shaking his head and blinking "And bloody hell you've got a loud voice"

"It comes in handy sometimes" Hannah smiled, then she looked past him as two adults and a young boy came into the room "Mum, Dad, Peter - these are The Angels of Arven. They're here to rescue us" 

"Okay" Her mother shrugged. Neville looked at the others, and they each handed out one of their portkeys to a family member.

"It will take you to a safe area in the compound" He explained "We have other people to visit, but once we are finished for the day, we will explain everything when we return"

"Okay" Hannah nodded.

"Toadfish"  
"Arkham"  
"Terebithia"  
"Calladan"

The four members of the family vanished.

"Another job done" Neville said "Shall we move on?"

xoxox

"Stupefy!" Colin dropped to the ground as a stunning curse flew over his head.

"Are we all here?" He called out.

"Present and correct, Mister Blue" Padma called back, then she cast a smoke curse back, blanketing the street with thick black smoke.

"Then lets move" He said.

xoxox

"DIFFINDO!" Percy flung a cutting curse across through the window of the house, then glanced over her shoulder "Whatever you're going to do, do it quickly" She said.

"We're working on it" Blake called back, then turned back to where Justin was sat on the sofa "Where's Orla, Mister Finch-Fletchly? if you won't leave without here, you have to tell us where she is?"

"She was working in the back field" Justin replied. Blake and Kenny exchanged glances, then Kenny gave a reluctant nod and turned to Justin.

"Mister Finch-Fletchly - did you ever learn occlumency?" He asked, and when Justin shook his head, Kenny took a deep breath "Okay - if you look into my eyes, I am going to take the location of the back field from your mind, and then I am going to go and find Miss Quirke. I will bring her back here, and then we can leave" He paused "I promise I will try not to read anything else, but since I am doing this quickly, I might get something by accident"

"Okay" Justin nodded.

"If I do, I will ask my associate to remove it from my mind when we return home this evening" He paused "I can't do it before then because it would take too much time, effort and magic"

"Okay" Justin nodded again.

"Very well - look into my eyes" Kenny said, and Justin gazed up at him. Kenny stared into his eyes for a moment, then smiled.

"I'll be as quick as I can" He said, then turned on the spot and vanished.

"BOMBARDIA!"

"DEPULSO!" 

"WAAAAAAAAAH!" Orla reappeared in Kenny's arms, then looked around "What the hell?"

"My apologies, Miss Quirke" Kenny said "But time is of the essence and it seemed easier to get you here then explain" He paused "We're here to rescue you and your fiance and get you somewhere safe before the seven Aurors outside storm the place and kill you"

"Oh" Orla blinked "Then what are we waiting for?"

xoxox

"I am here to see The Emperor" Lucius said as he walked into LeStrange Manor. Rabastan stared at him, then smiled.

"Go on in" He said with a polite smile "He is waiting in the throne room"

"Thank you" Lucius replied, then walked past him and along the corridor until he stood in front of a pair of ornate double doors. Taking a deep breath, he pushed them open and walked inside.

Walking up to the throne, he went down on one knee and bowed his head.

"My Lord, I come with news" He said "I believe The Angels of Arven have come to Britain in force, and I believe I know why" There was a long period of silence before a soft, calm voice replied.

"Tell me more, Lucius" Voldemort said "And tell me what you intend to do about it"

xoxox

The extraction group apparated to the ruins of The Rookery and looked around. Once they were sure they were alone, Kenny lead them to the window and pointed into the distance.

"According to Ron's best guess, we should apparate to the garage - where Mister Weasley senior kept his Ford Anglia" He said "From there we can spread out and see whether there is anyone watching the house or not"

"Are you sure The Weasleys are actually there?" Miss Lilac asked.

"Yes" Kenny nodded "We are acting on solid information and we have no reason to doubt it" He drew his wand "I want to make it clear - we are going to attempt to rescue all five members of The Weasley clan, however not at the expense of our own lives"

"We have also decided that should it become necessary, we can prevent them from being captured" Blake said in a near whisper "But that is to be used as an absolute last resort - we need them alive more than we need them dead" She looked at the others, letting her message sink in.

"Okay then - does anyone have any questions?"

xoxox

"This is interesting news, Prime Minister" Voldemort said "However I believe it is merely a diversion. I have had reports from the field that The Bones and The Abbotts are no longer at their residences, and there was a firefight at the home of.... some mudblood wizard and his pet girl" He waved his hand dismissively "These are of no consequence - although the loss of the former Director of Magical Law Enforcement is a touch galling" He leaned forward "However I think they are going after one more target"

"My Lord?"

"I have sent five squads of Aurors to The Burrow in Ottery St Catchpole" Voldemort said in the same calm voice "So that when these renegade Angels come to save the rest of The Weasley brats, I will find them, I will capture them and then - finally - I will execute them"


	3. The Battle of The Burrow

Blake, Percy and Kenny appeared in a swirl of light and almost at once drew their wands.

"There are others here" Kenny said, and the two girls nodded. Behind them, Neville and Miss Lilac appeared.

"Wow" Lilac said "I haven't been here in..... forever" She smirked "Me and Ron used to sneak out here to....." Neville arched an eyebrow.

"Not sure we need to hear about your former snuggle-time, Lav-Lav" He said, then he realised the other three were looking unusually serious "Blake?"

"We're not alone" She said, then she walked over to the window and peered out of it "Oh dear"

"Aurors?" Percy asked.

"Five squads of four" She nodded "The Burrow is surrounded" She paused "But they don't seem to be moving on the house. They are just watching"

"They're here for us" Blake said "They don't want The Weasleys - at least not yet" She looked over at Kenny "They've figured out we're coming here, and they are going to try to capture us......."

"Or kill us" Neville interjected.

".....before we can get into the house" She turned and looked at Neville "You think they are going to forgo arrests?"

"Can you picture The Emperor now?" He said "We have confronted the blight that has been tearing our country apart. We are now free from the scourge of terror, of fear and of the danger they pose. We are free from their murderous ways" He realised all four of the others were staring at him "What?"

"You sounded exactly like Dumbledore when you said that" Lavender said with an amused grin "I mean - tone, inflection - everything"

"Well - kill me now" Neville sighed "But yes - I am fairly sure that they have moved on from wanting to capture you to wanting to bury you"

"Okay" Blake nodded, then took a deep breath "I think we have two options, and neither of them are very appealing" She looked at the other two Angels "We can either retreat, and risk the lives of the Weasleys" She gestured to the window.

"They don't seem to be attacking them now, but if we don't show up soon, they could take them in to custody and send a message saying they have them and will kill them if we don't turn Ron and Cho over, or ourselves over" She looked around "I assume we aren't going to do that?" They shook their heads.

"Which means we'd have to rescue them from a far more secure location" She paused "Which is pretty much a non-starter" 

"So what's the other option?" Lavender asked.

"We need to get Ron from the compound and bring him here" Blake said "From what some of your friends have said he is a good strategic thinker, and he might be able to help us find a way past them without having to start a riot"

"He's not trained" Lavender pointed out.

"He was joint head of Hermione's Army" Neville responded "He can hold his own"

"It's not my first choice, or even my second, third or fourth choices" Blake said "We only bring those along who have worked with us, and a loose cannon can really rock the boat" She paused "But the alternative is we go back and tell him we left his family to die and I am not certain that is a better option at this point" She looked at Percy and Kenny "What do you think?"

"Agreed"

"Agreed"

"Miss Lilac - could you do the honours?" Blake asked. Lavender gave a quick nod, then vanished in a swirl of light.

xoxox

In the reeving room, Ron, Colin, Dennis and Padma sat in four chairs, watching and waiting. They all had their wands drawn, pointing to the large circle drawn in the centre.

After a few moments, Ron leaned back in his chair, tipping it slightly backwards.

"You don't want to do that" Colin said with a faint smile. Ron looked over at him.

"Sorry?" Ron looked at him.

"You don't want to do that" Colin repeated "Lean back in your chair, I mean"

"Why?" Ron frowned, then there was a flash of light in the circle as Lavender appeared in a swirl of light. Ron jerked backwards involuntarily and then fell off his chair.

"That's why" Colin said, getting to his feet "Miss...."

"Ron" Lavender said "The Angels need your assistance" Ron stared up at her from the floor, then got to his feet.

"I thought I....."

"When we got to The Burrow it was surrounded - there are twenty Aurors and Death Eaters. The five of us who went there couldn't make it through - we'd be killed before we got five yards" She paused "Blake sent me to get you - we are hoping you can find a way to get us through to the house and maybe find a way out"

"Oh" Ron paused "Okay" He took a deep breath "How long do I have?"

"There's magical armour in the corner - put it on and then you have to come with me, now" She looked at the others "Padma, get your sister to fill in for him"

"Yes, m'am" Padma nodded as Ron walked over and slipped a vest over himself, then he turned and walked back.

"Three rules" Lavender said "First - Blake, Percy and Kenny are in charge. When they aren't Neville is. You obey everything they tell you, or you might get them, or me, or yourself killed. Is that clear?"

"Yes" Ron nodded.

"Second - Neville is referred to as Mister Green, and I am Miss Lilac. You will be Mister Carmine. Do not refer to us by our real names. Again - to do otherwise is to get us killed" She waved her wand at him, changing his hair to be black.

"Third - since you were at The Battle of The Alley, I shouldn't need to tell you this" She paused "This is not a game. It is their lives or ours. Make no mistake - if you need to maim or kill, you should" Ron nodded.

"I understand" He said seriously.

"Then take me hand" She said, and he put his hand in hers "Ready?"

"Not remotely"

"Good" She said "If you were, then I'd be worried" She smiled "Lets go"

xoxox

They reappeared in the garage and Ron walked over to the window.

"Thank you for coming, Ron" Neville said, and Ron waved his hand.

"I know the twins were planning on building an escape tunnel - for if The Ministry came and raised anti-escape wards" He said "But I am fairly sure they never finished it because......" He trailed off and turned round "Well - finishing things was never really their strong point"

"I remember" Neville said "Are there any other ways we can get to the house without being noticed?" Ron turned back to the window and looked out onto the grounds for a few moments.

"No" He said a few minutes later "My parents liked open space - the apple trees were planted that far away because Dad didn't want them to encroach too much on the house" He turned round "Our best option is to attack them from behind, and run to The Burrow and set up a defensive position there and work out our next move"

"We'll be trapped in a building that looks incredibly flammable" Kenny pointed out "What's to stop them burning it down with all of us inside?"

"The Burrow won't burn" Ron shook his head "Bill and Charlie created a series of wards that make it almost impenetrable" He paused "They could bring the wards down, or blast the doors down and charge in and kill us all, but they can't burn it down from outside"

"Or they could wait outside and starve us to death?" Percy asked with a smile.

"True" Ron admitted "And I think that might be the least worst option right now"

"It's true" Neville interjected "Mother Molly's food is legendary" 

"Still - on the whole - I'd rather not die over here" Percy continued, then she looked at Ron "If we are going to attack, it will have to be a fast and brutal attack. Are you ready for that?"

"Yes" Ron nodded.

"Very well" Percy turned to the others "Three groups of two - one of us, one of you" She paused "I suggest boy-girl pairing just for simplicity" She drew her wand and made them all invisible.

"We go out there slowly and carefully" She continued "No one attacks until we are in place. Then unleash hell"

"Legs, arms, the ground, the plants" Blake said "If you want to animate the trees to attack them, feel free" She glanced at Ron "I'm afraid we are going to destroy your mother's hard work, Mister Weasley"

"She'll forgive you" He smiled "But we aren't killing?"

"There's little point - The Minister will just send more. But if we leave them beaten and broken then when he does they might think twice" Blake paused "Of course - if any of them do die, I won't lose any sleep over it" 

"Erm - guys?" Lavender turned from looking out the window "I think we need to change our plans" She pointed out of the window, and they all turned to look.

xoxox

Dolohov walked up to the door of The Burrow, and knocked. A moment later, it was opened by a tall man with a scar on his face, an earring and ginger hair.

"Mister Weasley?" Dolohov asked.

"Charles Weasley" Charlie nodded.

"You and your family are required to come with us. You are all under arrest for sedition, treason and other associated crimes" Dolohov said "As you can see, I have brought a large number of Aurors with me, so I would suggest not resisting. We have no problem in executing summary justice, or in burning down your house and letting you die" Charlie stood at him.

"Very well" Charlie turned "Mum? Fred? George? Ginny? We have to go" There was a rumbling of footsteps.

"Please hand over your wands" Dolohov said "You will not be harmed - we have no desire to hurt you"

"Pffft" Charlie snorted.

"But we will if you resist" Dolohov finished. Charlie stared at him, then slowly reached into his robes and took out his wand with his fingertips, then he walked out of the house and stood to one side.

"Guys - you have to hand over your wands" He said as Molly, the twins and Ginny walked out. Fred and George looked mutinous, but Molly rested her hands on their shoulders.

"Boys - go ahead" She said, then she handed over her wand. A moment later, the twins and Ginny followed suit. 

"You've made a good choice" Dolohov said "Now - please come with us" He turned, and lead them down the path.

xoxox

**(five minutes before)**

_"I think we need to change our plans"_ Lavender pointed out the window, and they watched as Dolohov lead his family out of The Burrow.

"Okay" Blake said calmly "New plan" She waved her wand and made them all visible "We wait till they reach the end of the path and then kill them all" She paused "Except The Weasleys - just to be clear"

xoxox

"ANTONIN DOLOHOV - YOUR TIME HAS COME" Blake bellowed "RELEASE THE WEASLEYS OR DIE!" Dolohov stared at her, then drew his wand.

"DEPULSO! STUPEFY! INCENDIO! REDUCTO!" Neville fired off a stream of curses, forcing the Auror escort to scatter and The Weasleys to drop to the ground. 

"CRUCIO! CRUCIO! CRUCIO! CRUCIO!" Percy shot off a series of curses as Ron, Lavender and Kenny ran forward and grabbed Molly, Ginny and the twins and ran then back towards The Burrow.

"INCENDIO! CRUCIO! REDUCTO!" Blake started running backwards, retreating towards The Burrow and covering her friends.

"INCENDIO! INCENDIO! INCENDIO!" Neville set fire to the garage, the bushes and the orchard as he followed the rest of the group.

"CRUCIO! ACCIO WANDS!" Percy blasted Dolohov off his feet, then watched as four wands flew through the air and shot past her into the open door. She follow them, then slammed the door behind her. followed the others and slammed the door of The Burrow behind them before turning to face Charlie.

"Mister Weasley - please lock down The Burrow" She said calmly. Charlie stared at her for a moment, then picked his wand up from the floor.

"Lockdown Burrow Calamity Alpha" He said, waving his wand in an intricate pattern. A moment later there was a loud BONG and Charlie looked back at her "It's done" He paused "Who the hell are you?"

"It's me" Ron said, then shook his head "Ron" The Weasleys stared at him in bemusement.

"Ron?" Ginny stared at him curiously "Is that you?" Ron turned to Neville.

"Mister Green - could you....." He asked, and Neville cancelled the glamour spell on him. 

"Ron?" Ginny repeated, this time sounding surprised.

"Ginny" Ron bounded over and hugged her "These are my..... my friends" He paused "They are The Angels of Arven, and we're here to rescue you" The Weasley family stared at him.

"I realise that this is not exactly the rescue we planned" Blake said, slightly self-deprecatingly "However your son is correct - we originally came here to extract you from The Burrow and take you back to France where you'd be safe"

"Unfortunately our plans have had to change" Percy continued "We........ we underestimated The Minister's response time - he sent his underlings here faster than we had anticipated"

"On the other hand you did stop us being lead away to a cell in The Ministry" Fred pointed out "So I think we are in your debt" Kenny smiled.

"If we survive the next hour or so, Mister Weasley, then you will owe us nothing" He said "We are merely here as a public service - to help those who cannot help themselves and to extract those who find themselves in danger"

"And then?" Molly asked.

"That is not for us to decide" Blake replied "This isn't our country, and it won't be our choice" She looked around "However I think deciding the future of Britain can probably wait until we see if we have a future of our own" She glanced at the door "We should probably find somewhere where we can see what they're doing"

xoxox

"Minister" Dolohov nodded as Lucius walked into the ground of The Burrow "You didn't have to come all this way"

"A family of blood traitors and The Angels of Arven in one building" Lucius smiled "We could get rid of two of our biggest problems in one afternoon" He stared across the lawn at the structure in front of them "Might I ask why it is not burning yet?"

"We tried" Dolohov replied "Apparently the rumours that William Weasley and Charles Weasley were ahead of their time in creating wards were very well founded - we haven't been able to make any impact on the building at all"

"That is disappointing" Lucius folded his arms "Do you have an alternate plan?"

"I ordered the floo connection terminated, we have set up anti-escape wards and we have the building surrounded on all sides" Dolohov said confidently "Given that we drove off their attacks on Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, I believe we can keep our Aurors here and wait them out"

"How long do you think we will have to wait, Antonin?" Lucius asked "Because I will not have our forces held hostage by these people"

"I do not believe it will take long, Minister" He replied "Because the second part of my plan will be to storm the building and kill them all" He smiled "I too do not want to look foolish"

"Very well. I am going to return to The Ministry. Please keep me apprised of the situation"

"Yes, Minister"

xoxox

Blake watched Lucius apparate away in a swirl of black smoke, then she turned back to the rest of the group.

"The entire building is surrounded - Antonin appears to have summoned two more squads of Aurors" She said "We could summon more associates but if they tried to launch a surprise attack they would be slaughtered before they got five feet"

"And you can't ask them to do that" George said.

"Every member of our group would be willing to die if necessary" Percy said "But I will not ask them to waste their lives in a pointless exercise" She waved her hand at the window "If we ask them to come here and attack the Aurors, it will be a one sided slaughter - they will die for no reason and that is entirely unacceptable" 

"So we find another way" Kenny looked at the twins "Ron said something about a tunnel?" Fred and George both turned to look at their little brother.

"You remembered that?" Fred asked.

"After our third year, and The Shack, tunnels stuck in my mind" Ron admitted.

"It runs about halfway to the garage" George said "Probably not far enough to get outside the wards" He paused "Once we moved out, and Ron and Ginny moved to Grimmauld Place, it became less urgent"

"It should do" Neville said "Fred - can you show us?" Fred glanced at his mother, and she nodded, so he lead Neville and Kenny off into the hall.

"Mrs Weasley......" Blake started, but Molly raised her hand.

"If we're going to be stuck together, please call me Molly"

"Molly" Blake nodded "From some of the rescued I've learned you were not a part of the original Order? If it comes to a fight would you be able to hold your own?"

"Never underestimate a mother's love, young woman" Molly replied "If those bastards are going to come into my house and try to kill my kids, I am going to make them pay for every last inch" Blake smiled.

"This is going to be a nasty fight" She continued "I know that The Order has - had - rules for this sort of thing. And I know your former leader would have told you that everyone can be redeemed" She paused "When we fight, we fight to kill"

"Thanks to your son they will have to come through the front door and into the hall" Percy said "So we set up a killing zone. Anyone who comes through there dies. And anyone who makes it through there dies soon afterwards" She looked around the room "If they make it to the stairs, we pour boiling oil on them, so they die - preferably screaming in agony" She took a deep breath "I am afraid we are probably going to destroy most of the furniture, and probably a lot of the house, when we do this. But since you won't be returning any time soon I didn't think you would care that much" She realised Molly, George, Ginny and Charlie were all staring at her.

"What?" She asked.

"I think they are a little surprised" Lavender said "The Headmaster wasn't much for the slash and burn approach"

"And now The Emperor is killing first born witches across the country" Blake replied "But we aren't here to discuss politics or the past. All I need to know is are you all capable of being ruthless and killing anyone who walks through that door?"

"Yes"  
"Yes"  
"Yes"  
"Yes"

"Good" She smiled "Lets begin"

xoxox

Kenny looked around the tunnel, then he reached into his robes and pulled out a small leather bag, and from inside that he pulled out a handful of small, black cubes.

"These are magical explosives" He said "They are stable, until they are hit with a fire hex - then they explode with the force of three or four reducto curses" He threw them along the tunnel, then pulled out another handful and took a step back and dropped them again. 

"So we aren't going to be escaping along here?" Fred asked.

"No" Kenny shook his head "We can't get outside the wards and if we try to extend the tunnel they'd hear us blasting the earth apart" He smiled "But if we blow the tunnel up underneath them....." Fred smiled.

"You are good" He said. 

"I am" Kenny nodded, then they turned and walked back up the tunnel. When they reached the end, Kenny threw another handful of explosives into the darkness.

"Go back to the group" He told Fred "I will be there shortly"

xoxox

"I don't think this is going to work" Blake said as she and Percy stood on the second floor, looking down the main staircase "They are trying their hardest, but I don't think they are ready to embrace the need for the kill or be killed ethos yet"

"There's also the other problem that we haven't talked about yet" Percy replied, resting her hand on Blake's "Even if we can get them to storm The Burrow, and even if we can kill every Auror that comes through the door......."

"They have an infinite number of Aurors they can throw at us, so even if we close the wall up with their Death Eater dead they'll still send more" Blake nodded. She took a deep breath "We have the little black boxes - that could be our way out"

"The Phantom Zone?" Percy frowned "So which of us gets to stay behind?" She stared at Blake "No - NO! We'll find another way"

"Do you really think there is another way?" Blake turned and took both of her hands "At least this way we can save most of the people who are here - The Weasleys, Ron, Neville, Lavender, you and Kenny. Nine lives for mine" She shrugged "I won't say I'm exactly sanguine about it, but we've already said dying for something is better than dying for nothing"

"I know" Percy sighed "I know, I know, I know. And as much as a part of me would have all of us die just so I don't have to leave you behind, I understand that I am not going to let everyone die just because of me" She took a deep breath "Do you think he's worked it out?"

"Probably - he is quite smart, even for a boy" Blake took a deep breath "Shall we go and tell the others?"

"I think we should" Percy nodded "The sooner we get this over with, the better" Blake arched an eyebrow.

"That desperate to get rid of me, huh?" 

"Well - you know I've always wanted your collection of Barbie Dolls"

xoxox

"Mister Green, Miss Lilac" Blake said "We're changing our plan" She and Percy pulled two leather pouches out of their robes "The Phantom Zone" Neville stared at them, while Lavender blinked.

"Who?" She asked.

"Me" Blake said.

"You're sure there's no other way?" Lavender glanced at Percy.

"There is an almost infinite army of doom waiting to kill us" Percy replied "No matter how many of them we kill, there will always be more. So we have to leave before they know we're gone"

"For the non Angels amongst us" Ginny interrupted "Could someone please explain what The Phantom Zone is?"

"There are two versions of it" Neville said, glancing at Percy and Blake "The first involves creating a series of projections that will fool the Aurors into thinking we are still here. That will usually ensure we can sneak out the back door, or apparate out, or something like that" He paused "The second version involves projections, but it also involves blowing up the building when the Aurors raid it and - in doing so - killing as many of them as we can" He tilted his head to one side "I am not sure which version my associates are planning on carrying out"

"Both" Percy said "I believe that we can force a one time floo connection between here and the compound - it will let all of you escape through there" She paused "But if the Aurors see that, they will rush the building and kill us before we can finish the extraction"

"So if I stay behind and create a series of projections - ones that will appear at the windows on the ground, first and second floor - I can hopefully delay the inevitable raid until you all escape" 

"What about you?" George asked.

"That's where the little black boxes come in" Neville said.

"Magical explosives, triggered by fire" Fred said "Kenny explained them"

"We scatter them around the first two floors" Neville nodded "Once everyone is gone, and the Aurors are on their way in, Blake will trigger the explosives and blow the bastards to hell" Everyone turned to stare at her.

"Won't that mean......." Ginny trailed off.

"You can't" Lavender said "Let me"

"You don't know the spell, Miss Lilac" Blake said "It's the only way"

"No" Molly said quietly, and Blake turned to look at her.

"Mrs..... Molly?"

"Which is more complicated - casting the spell or controlling it?" Molly looked up at her "Miss Blake - I am old. I have lived a good, long life. My husband is dead, and now I am facing the possibility that my children are going to die as well" She smiled "You are young, and you are clearly a good person with a life ahead of you that is going to be full of good deeds" Blake smiled.

"One can only hope, Mrs Weasley" She said "Okay - Fred, go and get Kenny and bring him back. Tell him about The Phantom Zone. Percy, Lilac, Green - go to the floo and force the connection" She turned "George, Charlie - go and open the curtains so our visitors can see the projections. Ginny, Charlie - get anything you want to take, because once we leave that will be it - we aren't coming back and The Burrow won't be here soon after" As they all left to start their various tasks, Blake walked over and sat down next to Molly.

"Okay, Molly, here's the spell......"

xoxox

"Director Dolohov - something is happening" Dolohov looked round as one of the Aurors called hi name, then he walked over.

"What is going on, Barnes?" He asked.

"Look up in the window, Director" Barnes said, pointing at the second floor. Dolohov followed his finger and saw two men stood in the landing window, both with wands drawn.

"Can they fire out at us?" He asked.

"I don't think so, Director" Barnes shook his head "Not unless they drop the wards"

"Could that be what's coming next?" Dolohov furrowed his brow "They drop the wards and attack us?" He tilted his head to one side "It is a good place - barricaded, secure and protected"

"We'd have to storm the building to get to them" Barnes nodded "Or set it on fire"

"Neither of those options are very appealing" Dolohov admitted "Keep an eye on them - I will talk to the other commanders"

xoxox

"Are you sure you want to do this, Mum?" Charlie asked.

"Yes" Molly nodded.

"Very well" Blake said calmly "We'll send everyone through the floo. Charlie and I will go through last - he will drop the wards, and then he'll leave. Then I'll trigger a fire spell in the tunnel and come up and leave" She paused "This should force the Aurors to rush the building" She took a deep breath "I highly recommend triggering a fire spell when they come in - if they get to you before you can....."

"I know what Death Eaters do to their prisoners, Miss Blake" Molly replied calmly "I'm not going to let them take me and I will take as many of them as I can" She looked over at her children "Take care of yourselves, kids, and remember your father and I love you" Ginny ran over and hugged her.

"We'll take care of them, Mrs Weasley" Percy said.

"I'm sure you will" Molly said "Now go, before Dolohov and his army of doom decide to blast down the doors and kill you all" 

"ERANUS MUTATUM!" Percy said, pointing her wand at the fireplace. The flames burst into life, cycling from green to blue to red and back to green before turning purple.

"Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, Mister Green, Miss Lilac - go" Blake commanded. One by one they walked into the flames and vanished "Percy, Kenny - go" Her fellow Angels walked into the fire and vanished as well. 

"Charlie - give it two minutes, then drop the wards and go" She said, then she turned and ran down to the basement. Drawing her wand, she pointed it at the far end of the tunnel.

"magicae telum" She whispered, then a short jet of flame shot out of her wand and flew into the darkness. Without waiting, she turned and ran back upstairs just in time to see Charlie vanishing into the floo. 

At the same time, she heard a series of explosions from outside - accompanied by a lot of screams.

She turned to Molly and smiled.

"I wish I had been able to get to know you better, Mrs Weasley, but I can truly say it has been an honour to meet you" She said. 

"You too, Miss Blake" Molly gave her a polite nod "Now go before it's too late" Blake turned, and then jumped into the fireplace. 

Molly watched the flames go out, then she raised her wand and - with a series of blasting charms - blasted the fireplace to pieces. 

"Bastards aren't following my kids anywhere" She said before turning back and watching the door, occasionally moving her wand about to simulate the projections withdrawing further into The Burrow. 

Five minutes later, she heard the door explode off its hinges and saw the Aurors start to stream into to her house.

She stood up and walked over to the steps. She drew her wand, and pointed it at the first group of explosives.

xoxox

Dolohov watched as his Aurors stormed the house. The underground explosion had ripped up the lawn and killed ten of his men already, not to mention leaving a massive trench nearly five feet wide.

xoxox

"MOLLY WEASLEY - YOU ARE UNDER ARREST! DROP YOUR WAND AND RAISE YOUR HANDS!"

xoxox

He looked up at the second flaw again, then furrowed his brow as he saw the taller of the two men blink out of existence for a moment.

xoxox

"Mister Avery. Welcome to my home" Molly smiled.

xoxox

"No! NO!" He started at The Burrow "Get ou......" His yell of terror was cut short as a series of explosions ripped through The Burrow, sending balls of yellow flame up into the air. He continued to watch in mounting horror as the building collapse in on itself, until there was nothing left but a pile of rubble burning as brightly as the sun. 

"Oh gods" He said, staring at the flames as they danced.

xoxox

Blake stepped out of the floo into the receiving room, then walked over and collapsed into a chair.

"Welcome back" Kenny said. Blake looked up at him.

"Thanks" She said "How are our friends doing?"

"It will take some time, but they'll be fine" He replied "I think we should turn them over to Mister Green, and then retire for the night - you could do with some TLC"

"It has been a long day" Percy said, walking over to them "If you want to go ahead, I'll talk to Mister Green then catch you up"

"Thank you" Kenny gave her a kiss on the cheek, then held out his hand and helped Blake to her feet. They walked out of the receiving room while Percy walked over to Neville.

"We're going to go to our rooms" She said quietly "Sorry to leave you holding the bag, but....."

"It's been a long day" Neville nodded "I will talk to our new arrivals. Go - take care of yourself"

"Thank you, sweetie" She gave him a kiss on the cheek, then turned and walked out of the room. Neville turned to the others and smiled.

"Susan, Amelia, Hannah, Mr and Mrs Abbott, Peter, Justin, Orla and Clan Weasley - welcome to Beauxbatons" He said brightly.

"We're at Beauxbatons?" Ginny asked.

"Yes" Neville continued "And now for your second surprise" He waved his hand, and his glamour vanished, followed by Lavender's.

"NEVILLE?" Hannah called out in surprise "You are a member of The Angels of Arven?"

"Lavender?" Orla stared at her "You too?"

"We were rescued by them a few months back, and we agreed to join them and help them save others" Lavender nodded "Ron hasn't joined us officially yet, but we asked him to help us rescue The Weasleys because it proved more....... complicated than we had originally planned"

"You'll find a number of former members of Hermione's Army in our ranks" Neville continued "Saving our friends from The Ministry and The Emperor - or at least doing our best to"

"What about the other three?" Charlie asked.

"They are the ones who started this" Lavender said "They have saved all of us"

"Who are they?" Fred asked.

"We don't know" Neville shrugged "I mean - we know they go by the names Blake, Percy and Kenny, and I am fairly sure they are students at Beauxbatons, but no one knows their identities"

"Not even you?" Ginny frowned.

"Not even me" Neville shook his head "They've never said, and I've never asked - I didn't think it was any of my business"

"So now that we're here, what do we do next?" Amelia asked.

"That's up to you" Neville replied "You have all been applied temporary French citizenship, so you are safe from reprisals by The Ministry. So you can sit out the war - wait until The Emperor is overthrown should you so desire"

"Or?" Mr Abbott asked.

"Or you can join our group" Lavender said "The adults can help with strategy and planning, and the students can train to come with us on extraction missions like the ones we carried out today - saving people from The Ministry and their executions"

"But you have to train first, and you will only join us when we - when The Angels - say you are ready" Neville pointed out "As you've seen, this is not for the fainthearted, and you have to be certain you want to join, and you have to be ready"

"You don't have to decide now, or ever" Lavender said quietly "You have all had a long day, and you've all had a traumatic experience. So take your time and get used to being over here. Then - when you think you're ready you can tell us what you've decided" 

"Until then, we will show you to your rooms and let you get some rest"

"Actually - there's something else" Fred asked.

"Yes?" Neville looked at him.

"From what you've said, you've got contacts in the French government?" 

"The Angels have friends in high places, yes" Neville nodded.

"Do they have any information about Bill or Percy - our brother Percy, not your friend" Fred stared at him imploringly "We haven't heard anything about either of them since before Hogwarts fell - since before The Ministry was lost" He paused "Mum was out of her mind with worry......" He trailed off as he realised what he'd said "Do you know anything?" Neville glanced at Lavender, who nodded reluctantly.

"You've had a long day - all of you - and you've had a big loss. Perhaps you should wait until tomorrow......"

"Please" Charlie said "If you know anything......" Neville sighed.

"I'm afraid I don't know anything for certain about Bill - he disappeared after Hogwarts and neither The Parliament of Mages nor The DGSE have been able to find out any information about him" He paused "The one thing we are moderately certain of is that if The Ministry had killed him, we would know - they would be making certain of that"

"And Percy?" George asked.

"Percival is..... more problematic" Neville said "The Parliament of Mages and DGSE keeps a record of all the staff working in The Ministry - just in case any of them go on the run and try to come here" He looked up at The Weasleys "I am afraid that Percival has been working for The Ministry ever since it fell"

"You mean......."

"Yes" Neville nodded "Your brother is a collaborator"


	4. Santyana

Three days later, Jennifer Abbott and Amelia walked through the halls of Beauxbatons, watching as the students walked to class, out into the grounds and into the various public common rooms.

"I have to say, while I will always value my time at Hogwarts, there are some definite advantages to the way this school is run" Jennifer said "The public common rooms, the dorms divided by year rather than house" She smiled "It makes for a much more inclusive atmosphere - less divisive"

"You don't think a little competition is good for the kids?" Amelia asked. Jennifer looked her.

"The entire Ministry is made up of children from one house, Amy" She replied "And it took a national catastrophe to bring the rest of the kids together - to get them to socialise and cooperate beyond their own houses" She shook her head "Look at these children, Amelia - they are all working together. There are no divisions, no rivalries, no simmering hatred"

"Are you sure that isn't just because of the different circumstances?" Amelia suggested "Our kids grew up in the shadow of the first Blood Purity Wars, and were thrust into the second"

"You don't think France has its own history?" Jennifer smirked "Gods above the magical history syllabus at Hogwarts is terrible" She paused "But to get back to my point, or one of my points, I am not saying Hogwarts is all bad, but I think when we liberate Britain, we should give some thought to changing some aspects of the school" 

"Unless you want to stay here?" They turned at the voice behind them, and found a boy with silver hair and bright eyes "Word spreads fast around here - and so many new.... transfer students in one go was bound to attract attention" He smiled "Mrs Abbott, Director Bones - it is a pleasure to meet you"

"You have us at a disadvantage, young man" Amelia said.

"Forgive me" He tilted his head "Jayce McConnell. Like you, I came here from another country with my family" He looked around "But we decided to stay, and now we cannot imagine living anywhere else" He smiled "From what I understand of the way The Angels operate your temporary citizenship can be converted to permanent - you can make your home here, keep your kids in school"

"We'll keep that in mind" Jennifer said "But I think for now we're going to concentrate on trying to free our country" She paused "May I ask you a question?"

"Of course - Madame Maxime has asked the students to be as helpful as we can to our new arrivals" He smiled.

"Are any of the students here part of The Angels?" She asked "I know that the ones who were rescued from Britain are a part of the group, but do any of the Beauxbatons students take part in the raids or extractions?" 

"Some of them" Jayce nodded "There are The Angels, of course, but their identity is protected - no one knows who they are. And there are a few others who go on the occasional raid or extraction when their specific skills are needed"

"Specific skills?" Amelia asked.

"Beauxbatons has a wide curriculum" Jayce said, a hint of pride entering his voice "Some of the lessons are more..... esoteric than others. Ward breaking, decryption spells, memory retrieval" He paused "These are all electives in the seventh, eighth and ninth years, so if The Angels require a specific skill, they will ask if a student wants to come with them"

"And if the student refuses?" Jennifer looked at him curiously.

"Then they refuse" Jayce shrugged "The Angels are not the army, Mrs Abbott, and they aren't The Emperor. They are entirely voluntarily, and if someone doesn't want to go, they don't go"

"Has anyone ever refused?" Jennifer smiled.

"No" Jayce admitted "Even though they work entirely in secret, we are so very proud of them, and we all believe in what they are doing" He glanced at his watch "And now I am sorry, but I have a class to get to. So - if you will excuse me, I must take my leave of you" He gave a polite nod, then walked off down the corridor.

"Nice young man" Amelia commented "Are all the students like that?"

"I have no idea" Jennifer shrugged "He's the first one I've spoken to" She paused "Do you think what he said is true? That we would be able to remain here after we liberate Britain?"

"I can't see why he'd lie" Amelia replied "But would you want to remain here? As you said - we could rebuild Britain - make it better" Jennifer arched an eyebrow.

"I don't know if I want to make an entire country better" She said drily.

"But you were talking about Hogwarts....."

"The odd change here and there - yes" Jennifer said "But remaking an entire country?" She shook her head "Sounds a little too..... Emperory to me" Amelia stared at her.

"You are calling me....." 

"No" Jennifer raised her hands "No. But I think if we are going to try to change our home, we should at least do it after we return there"

"As opposed to?" Ameila looked at her questioningly.

"Knowing what we want before we start and forcing people to accept it" Jennifer shrugged "That just seems like it would end badly" She looked around "So - how about a tour of the grounds?"

"Actually - there's something I want to talk to you about" Amelia said, lowering her voice "Something that might help in taking back our country, and setting about changing it for the better" Jennifer looked at her friend thoughtfully.

"Then lead on, good lady"

xoxox

Four nights later, Neville was sat in the seventh year common room, talking to River, Jayce and a boy named Nicholas Garvelle when he saw Amelia walk up to them.

"Director" He gave a polite nod "Can I help you?"

"Mister Longbottom - I was wondering if I might have a word?" She glanced at the three students "In private?" Neville nodded, then looked at the others.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment?" He asked, and they stood up and walked over to the other side of the room "Director - please, have a seat" Amelia sat down next to him, and Neville turned to face her "So - how may I be of assistance?"

"I understand that you're the liaison for The Angels" She said quietly "I wanted to talk to them about something"

"Might I ask about what?" He asked in response.

"I have worked out a plan to rescue a group of people - people who I think could be useful to the plan to liberate Britain" She said.

"You want to take a plan to stage an extraction to The Angels" He said, and she nodded "Might I ask who, or where?"

"That's the thing" She let out a slow breath "I want to break in to Azkaban, and liberate all my Aurors that are held there" Neville stared at her for a moment, then gave a low whistle.

"Bold" He said "Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Of course"

"Do you want to attack Azkaban, and free your Aurors, because you think they'll be useful in the fight or because you feel guilty about them being locked up there?" Neville gazed at her levelly. 

"Does it matter?" She asked.

"It matters to me, since I just asked you" He said "And I suspect it will matter to The Angels"

"I admit there is some guilt - they were my men, my women and they're now in hell" She paused "But if I didn't believe they would be of use, I wouldn't ask anyone to risk their lives to save them"

"Which leads me on to my next question" Neville said "Do you believe we can do this? Because we are not going to waste lives on a pointless quest"

"I cannot promise you that there won't be deaths" She closed her eyes "But if I thought we couldn't achieve our mission, I wouldn't suggest it" She opened her eyes again and looked at him "I would never ask someone to risk their lives on a pointless mission"

"Okay" He gave a single nod "Final question - at least for now" He stared her in the eyes "Is this just about the Aurors, Director?"

"What do you mean?" 

"When The Ministry fell, a number of officials were sent to Azkaban" Neville pointed out "And when Hogwarts fell, most of The Order were taken there as well" He continued to stare at her "Director - if we were to invade Azkaban, and extract the Aurors, would you really be willing to leave the rest behind?" He gave her a dry smile "Would you be willing to leave The Order members in hell? Leave The Ministry staff to the tender, loving care of the dementors?" He leaned back and folded his arms "Would you, Director?"

"No" She admitted "I think we should extract everyone who is in there - Aurors, Ministry staff, Order Members. Everyone who has been held prisoner" She looked at him levelly "Would you want us to leave them behind?"

"It wouldn't entirely be up to me - as you will have surmised The Angels are the final arbiters of what we do or do not do" He paused "And while I can't speak for them on every subject, I think that on this topic I can definitely give you an idea of what their thinking might be" 

"And what topic is that?" Amelia said darkly.

"There is the problem with launching an attack on Azkaban" He started "It is a heavily fortified fortress in the middle of nowhere, protected by guards, wards and dementors" He shrugged "But that's probably something we can deal with, and the least of our problems"

"Do I want to know what the worst is?"

"Liberating the Aurors, and most of The Ministry staff is also not that much of a problem" Neville continued "However The Order members - I believe they are going to be a problem" He sighed "One in particular" Amelia gazed at him for a few moments, but when he stayed quiet, she rolled her eyes.

"Are you going to tell me which one, or do I have to go through the entire list and guess?" She asked.

"My apologies" Neville smiled "Do you remember how The Chief Warlock behaved before he was sent to prison?" Amelia looked at him in bemusement.

"Sorry?"

"He ran the school, The Order and the country as if they were his own private empire" Neville said "And while I know I wasn't on the inside, so to speak, I don't think he ever took advice from anyone, or even listened to advice from anyone" He paused "A few the rescued, including myself, have privately compared him to The Emperor in the way he ran the country" Amelia stared at him in surprise.

"I know that you blame him for what happened to....."

"That's part of it" Neville cut her off "But this started a long time before that, and carried on a long time after" Amelia looked at him thoughtfully.

"I understand that you, and many of the rescued, have problems with the way he does things" She said after a few moments "But you have to remember something else - he is one of the preeminent leaders of our time. He defeated Grindelwald, and he lead an army to defeat Grindelwald's forces" She paused "He also lead The Order for five decades and helped protect the country against darkness for all that time"

"And now the country is cloaked in darkness, and he - himself - is rotting in jail" Neville said "And from everything I've seen, and everything others tell me - including Madame Maxime - Albus Dumbledore is not the type to take a secondary role"

"What do you mean?"

"Let's say we do this" Neville rested his hands on the sofa in front of him "Let's say we stage a raid in Azkaban, we break the wards, kill or drive off the dementors, disable or kill the guards and rescue all the prisoners" He smiled "We bring them all back here and do what we usually do with our new arrivals - give them a choice between sitting out the rest of the fight, or becoming a member of The Angels and working under Percy, Kenny, Blake and me" He stared down at his hands "Tell me the truth, Director - do you really think that Albus Dumbledore will want to take orders from four school children? Especially when I am one of them?"

"I...... I take your point, Mister Longbottom" She admitted reluctantly.

"And where the great Albus Dumbledore leads, you can be fairly sure that Minerva McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid will follow" Neville continued "So we would have maybe three teachers who wouldn't be willing to follow our orders" He stared at her "We have built something good here, Director, and we are not going to risk it being disrupted by anyone"

"Even a man as great as Albus Dumbledore?" Amelia asked.

"A man so great that he let Britain slip in to darkness and let a Dark Lord become Emperor of Britain?" Neville responded.

"Touche" Amelia sighed.

"Director - I am not saying no" He said after a moment "If you would like to give me your proposal, I will take it to The Angels, and we will discuss it at length" He paused "However I have my suspicions that if we are going to go ahead with this, we are going to have to find a way to ensure that any Order members who might return to not disrupt what we have built here, and do not try to interfere in our plans and in the way we do things" Amelia opened her mouth, but Neville raised his hand "I am pretty sure that will be non-negotiable - if you don't agree, we will, reluctantly, leave them in Azkaban, and if they don't agree to our terms when they are brought back here....." He trailed off.

"Then what?" Amelia asked "You'll send them back?" 

"If necessary" Neville shrugged. Amelia stared at him.

"You realise that would condemn them to death, right?"

"Then I am glad you understand just how serious this will be" He replied.

xoxox

"She seems very insistent" Neville sat at the circular table in the chamber, facing Percy, Blake and Kenny "And I am more than a little worried that if she doesn't get us to agree to this, she might decide to take her case to The Parliament of Mages"

"You think that Minister Duvall wants to launch a war against Britain?" Percy asked.

"No" Neville shook her head "But there might be other members who will, and then we risk having an actual war - one that would decimate both sides and lead to nothing but disaster"

"Decimate means reduce by one tenth" Blake remarked in an off-hand manner, and Neville stared at her.

"Thank you" He said "That's very helpful"

"Always glad to help" She said with an amused smile "But I take your point - from the stories I've heard Amelia has been known to be a little hot-headed, and might well be willing to take steps to enact her plan if we refuse"

"So we come back to our main problem" Kenny said "What to do with the people we bring back here who are likely to want to take control" He paused "You are sure that the former Chief Warlock will be as dangerous as his reputation?"

"Yes" Neville nodded emphatically "Even before the fall, Hermione's Army was starting to lose faith in him"

"Because of what happened with....." Percy asked.

"Amongst other things" Neville nodded "I mean - that was the main reason, but there were a lot of problems before then" He shook his head "If we allow him, and his Order, to come here without limiting his ability to interfere then you will be fighting a war on two fronts"

"We will win that war" Percy insisted.

"But it will take a lot of effort - more than we can spare" Blake turned to her "More than we should have to spare" She rested her hands on the table "So - what choices do we have?"

"Firstly - is the raid on Azkaban something we can do?" Kenny asked.

"Yes" Blake nodded "Amelia's plan is very good, and will work with only a little bit of modification"

"Modification?" Neville asked.

"The extraction at The Weasley's turned into an utter mess because the distractions didn't last long enough" Blake rested her elbows on the table and her head in her hands "If we're going to attack a fortress, we need to make the distractions last a great deal longer"

"So we either hit more places, or we do a lot more damage" Percy added "So that the Aurors - The Ministry Aurors that is - will spend more time chasing our group and not have time to come to Azkaban"

"If we can work out that part, then I think the rest of Amelia's plan is sound" Blake continued "Which is where we have to make our choice"

"It comes down to three sets of two choices" Kenny said "Do we rescue the Aurors - yes or no? Do we rescue the former Ministry staff - yes or no? Do we rescue The Order - yes or no?" He looked around the table "Neville?"

"Yes, yes and no, unless all of you disagree with me" He paused "I know leaving anyone in Azkaban is heartless, but I think bringing Dumbledore here will be a bad idea"

"Blake?"

"Yes, yes and maybe" She smiled "I don't disagree with Neville, but if we can find a way to control him - limit his power and make sure he is subservient to us - then I believe having his wisdom and knowledge could benefit us" She paused "I mean find a way to control Dumbledore, not Neville - just to be clear"

"I was hoping" Kenny laughed "Percy?"

"Yes, yes and yes" She took a deep breath "I think that if we can talk to Bridgette Etoine in the eighth year, then we will be able to ensure that we can - as Blake says - control our new arrivals" 

"Bridgette?" Neville frowned.

"Advanced charms" Percy replied "Including one that I am pretty sure will be useful to us" Neville quirked an eyebrow at her "Let me talk to her tomorrow, and then we can make a final decision" He gave a nod.

"Okay" Kenny said "Then - assuming Percy is right, and Miss Etoine let us do what we want, then we'll decide the night after tomorrow" He paused "But right now I am leaning towards yes, yes and yes" 

"In which case I would like to change my answer" Neville said with a slight smile.

xoxox

"Miss Etoine?" Neville approached a tall girl with long, blonde hair "Might I have a word? In private?" 

"Of course" Bridgette nodded, and followed him into a classroom. Neville sealed the door behind him, then leaned against the wall. Bridgette turned to face him "You said you wanted to talk, Mister Longbottom?"

"I did" He said "But you won't be talking with me" He gave a nod to behind her, and she turned to see a young woman walking out of the shadows at the end of the room.

"Percy?" She said in surprise "This is......"

"Miss Etoine" Percy inclined her head "I realise that we don't usually make house calls, for want of a better phrase, but unfortunately a problem has arisen and time is of the essence" She paused "I would appreciate it if you did not speak to anyone else about what we're about to discuss"

"Of course" Bridgette nodded.

"Within the next fortnight, there is a better than fair chance we ill be extracting some...... people from Britain who are going to make life difficult for us" Percy continued "In a perfect world we wouldn't allow this to happen, however circumstances are forcing our hand somewhat"

"Okay" Bridgette said.

"From gossip around the school, I understand that you are the foremost student in regard to advanced charms and more specifically loyalty charms" Percy paused "We want to know if there is either a charm that you know, or a charm that you could create, that would allow us to ensure the loyalty of the people who arrive here" Bridgette frowned.

"How far do you want to ensure their loyalty?" She asked "I mean - is this an imperious level....."

"Oh - no" Percy shook her head with a slight laugh "My apologies - I realise how sinister that might have sounded" She paused, thinking how to explain it "What we want is one of the following circumstances - that if they are going to become part of our group, they have to follow our orders when we give them" She paused "Otherwise they can do what they want, providing it doesn't involve betraying us"

"Okay" Bridgette nodded.

"The alternative option is that they swear to stay out of the fight, and to not interfere with what we are doing" Percy continued "In both cases, the penalty for breaking the spell has to be relatively severe"

"Because what you are doing is important" Bridgette smiled.

"Can you do it?" Percy asked. Bridgette looked at her thoughtfully.

"I won't kill anyone, and I won't strip them of their magic - at least not for good" She said "But I can bind their loyalty to a fixed punishment, and I can make it flexible so that you can ask them to swear to one of two options" She closed her eyes for a moment, her lips moving quickly, then she opened her eyes again "I think I can have it ready in four days"

"Thank you" Percy let out a sigh of relief "You have no idea how much this is going to help us - we will very much be in your debt" She held up her hand "A debt you might have to wait until the end of the war to collect, since this might be the last time we meet" Bridgette laughed.

"Seems fair" She said "So who do I talk to...."

"That would be me" Neville said. Bridgette turned to face him and he continued talking "When you are ready, come and find me, and I will let you know where we go from there" 

"Okay" She nodded, then she looked back, only to find that Percy had gone "She doesn't hang around, does she?"

"Things to do, people to see" Neville said with a smile, then he drew his wand and unsealed the door "Thank you, Miss Etoine - we really are very grateful"

"I will get back to you as soon as I can" She said.

"I look forward to it"

xoxox

The following lunchtime, Lavender sat down next to Amelia in the grand hall. 

"Director"

"Miss Brown"

"The Angels have discussed your proposal - Codenamed Angband" Lavender said quietly "We believe we have found a way to mitigate the potential problems that you discussed and as such they are willing to bring the proposal to a full meeting of the group"

"That's encouraging" Amelia said.

"The night after tomorrow, someone will come and find you and escort you to the meeting" Lavender said, cutting up her steak "You will be allowed to explain why you think we should try to carry out this mission, and then you will hear our plan for mitigating the risks that will come from it" She paused "If you believe they are unacceptable, or that they will compromise the goals of the mission, we will reconsider the overall plan"

"I understand"

"Okay then" Lavender paused "So - how do you like the school so far?"

xoxox

"Are we making a mistake?" Jayce asked as he and River glanced across the bridge.

"Almost certainly" His sister nodded "But I don't see what other choice we have"

"So we move?"

"We move" She nodded again.

"On zero?" They both raised their wands.

"Three. Two. One. ZERO"

"FOR INGLESIDE!"  
"FOR INGLESIDE!" They both ran across the bridge, charging towards the lake. A moment later, they were hit from both sides by globs of paint. A moment after that, another torrent of paint covered them from head to toe. 

They came to a halt and stared at each other.

"That went well" River said.

"Really?" Jayce asked.

"No, not really" She sighed. She looked around "So do we just give up, or shall we teach them a lesson?"

"You know the rules of the game, sister of mine" He replied "Once we've been hit, we're out"

"If we played by the rules, how would we ever prosper" She said slyly. He rolled his eyes.

"On zero?" He said in a near whisper, and she gave a slight nod. They watched as the other team walked out of the bushes, and towards them. River watched her girlfriend walk down the slope towards her.

"Did you really think charging across the bridge was the right way to go?" Francis asked with an amused grin.

"It seemed wise at the time" River shrugged "And we could have caught you by surprise"

"You ran across the bridge yelling 'FOR INGLESIDE', sweetie - it wasn't that subtle or sneaky" Francis pointed out.

"That's true" River glanced at her brother "I guess we had no hope, and that our chances were.... zero"

xoxox

Twenty minutes later, River and Francis were stood in adjoining shower cubicles.

"That was entirely uncalled for, you know" Francis glared at her girlfriend over the divider.

"I know" River replied with a grin "That's what made it so funny"

"You realise, of course, that this means war" Francis waggled her eyebrows.

"Oh yes" River nodded "That's what makes this so fun"

"Is movie night on tonight?" Francis asked, changing topic "It's Back to The Future night, isn't it?"

"It was" River nodded "But Neville talked to me at lunch - he's had to cancel. Apparently there's something big going on with The Angels tonight, so he asked if we could move it to tomorrow"

"Something big?" Francis looked at her curiously.

"He wouldn't give me any details, but I've heard talk around the school" River flicked off the shower, then held out her hand and a towel flew from the rack on the far side of the room "Something called Project Angband"

"Angband?" Francis arched her eyebrows "The Fortress of the North?" River shrugged.

"Could just be a random name assigned to it" She grinned "Neville's ex is extremely well read"

"So I've heard" Francis summoned a towel as well "So - we have to wait until tomorrow for Back To The Future?"

xoxox

Four hours later, Colin walked through the corridors of Beauxbatons, and stopped in front of the rooms that the adults had been assigned. He knocked on the door, then waited - hands by his side - until Amelia opened it.

"Director - I've come to escort you to the meeting" He said "Anyone who wants to come with you is free to do so"

"Thank you, Mister Creevey" Amelia nodded "Jennifer, Hannah and Susan will be coming with me"

"Very well" Colin paused "Everything you learn tonight will be considered confidential. You are not to discuss it with anyone. Not Madame Maxime, not other students and certainly not The Parliament or The Ministry" He paused "You can discuss it with other family members, providing they understand the level of confidence required"

"I will make certain they do" Amelia nodded.

"Then please come with me" Colin said, and lead the four women off through the corridors "We were supposed to be watching the Back To The Future Trilogy tonight, but we decided to put it off until tomorrow" 

"The Back....." Amelia trailed off in confusion.

"Films from the non-magical world" Hannah said "They are kind of fun"

"I'll make sure I come and see them tomorrow" Amelia said, still looking slightly confused.

"It'll be worth your while" Colin grinned, then he came to a halt in front of a tapestry depicting an ancient battle in Greece.

"Once a queen, always a queen but once a knight's enough" He said. A moment later the battle became animated, and the forces on the left drove the forces on the right backwards, leaving a black void in their place. 

"Director" Colin gestured to the space.

"Really?" She asked. Colin rolled his eyes.

"Director - why would I bring you here just to kill you?" He asked, then he looked at Hannah and Susan "Miss Bones? Miss Abbott?" They smiled, then walked into the black doorway. Colin smiled.

"Mrs Abbott? Director?" The two women exchanged glances, then both walked in. Colin followed them in, then the forces retreated across the landscape and the tapestry returned to normal.

xoxox

"Director Bones" Neville sat on the platform at the end of the meeting room, with Blake, Percy and Kenny sat on his left "Please have a seat" Amelia looked around to see a lot of former Hogwarts students, as well as one or two Beauxbatons students sat in rows of seats in front of the platform. 

She and Jennifer took two seats at the end of a row, while Hannah and Susan sat down next to Colin near the back.

"Good evening" Neville said, getting to his feet once everyone was seated "We are here tonight to discuss Project Angband - the codename for the liberation of Azkaban. The plan was conceived and designed by Director Bones, and in a moment she will - if she is willing - talk us through the plan" He paused "Then we will discuss our plans for what to do with those who we extract from the prison and return here because there have been concerns raised that they will attempt to take over and try to run our organisation" He glanced at Amelia for a moment, then looked back at the group.

"The four of us believe that we are best when we act for ourselves. Despite the fact we are only children, albeit fairly grown up children, we have saved numerous lives and made more of an impact on the future of Britain than most of the adults who were meant to protect us" He paused "We know our methods work. We know that what we do saves lives, and ensures that the next generation will live on. If we let those who let our country fall to the dark take over and change our methods then whose to say what will happen?" He clasped his hands behind his back.

"That being said, the idea of leaving anyone in Azkaban does not sit well with any of us. They were our teachers, our friends and our allies, and the idea of leaving them to suffer is not something we can countenance" He smiled "So while we are not entirely sanguine about bringing them back here it is the lesser of two evils" He paused "And we believe that we have a way to control them - for want of a better phrase - once they are here" He looked over at Amelia "So - Director - if you would like to come up and present your plan?"

xoxox

Hannah and Susan sat at the back of the room, and watched her aunt present the plan to the group.

"Do you think it will work?" Susan asked quietly.

"Aunty A is very good at what she does" Hannah admitted "But staging a raid on the most fortified prison in Britain?" She shrugged "It's ambitious"

"But?"

"But I was talking to The Weasleys about the fight at The Burrow" Hannah continued "It was apparently stunning - they blew past twenty or so Death Eaters without any problems, and then....." She trailed off before pointing to the girl sat in the middle of the platform ".... thingy was willing to give her life to ensure the rest of them could escape"

"Blake" Susan supplied.

"Blake" Hannah nodded "The three of them, and Neville, display an almost Hufflepuff like loyalty to each other - which given that he doesn't know who they are is even more impressive"

"Are you coming to a point?"

"That with that kind of loyalty I think they can do anything they put their mind to" Hannah smiled. Susan stared at her for a moment.

"Oh gods" She said "You've got the same look on your face that you had when we were eight and you wanted to go swimming in Crane Lake" She closed her eyes "You want to join them, and you're going to drag me into it as well, aren't you?"

"Oh yes" Hannah grinned.

"Tell me again - why are we friends?" Susan asked.

"Because we have too much in common not to be" Hannah said with a laugh.

xoxox

"Thank you, Director" Neville said as Amelia retook her seat "The Angels have provisionally endorsed the plan and we believe we have a way to ensure that The Ministry's forces will be distracted long enough so that they won't be able to respond to the extraction right away" He waved his hand and a projection appeared behind him.

"When we staged the multiple extraction to rescue The Bones, The Abbotts, Justin and Orla and The Weasleys we created large distractions at two locations - Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley" He said "And to a certain degree those distractions worked - Colin?"

"The Aurors came in mob-handed" Colin said, standing up "Which meant we pulled them away from their duties so that the extraction teams could get to their targets, but it also meant that we were out-numbered and out-matched. There was no way we could stand up to them - not without some of us dying"

"And we told you not to risk your lives" Neville nodded "Thank you" Colin returned his nod and sat down "So rather than repeat that strategy again - and risk the same problem again - we're going to try something different" He waved his hand and the picture changed.

"Rather than one or two large scale distractions, we're going to stage dozens of tiny ones" He said "Two or three three person teams - you apparate in, you blow some stuff up, you wait for the Aurors, then you apparate out and to the next destination. We keep doing that all around the country - magical and non-magical locations alike"

"The same rules apply" Percy said, then paused "Well - rule" She smirked "You don't put your own life at risk. That aside, the only other rule is do what thou wilt - blow things up, burn things down, create illusions and magical clouds. Let The Emperor explain to The International Confederation why The International Statute is being shattered" There wree a few laughs.

"If the distraction squads can keep The Ministry busy then our extraction team can take Azkaban" Neville said after a moment "We are looking for volunteers, but make no mistake - this will not be your typical extraction" He looked at the assembled group seriously "As Amelia outlined, the dementors will be out in force, so you will need a strong patronus charm. There will be guards who are devoted to The Emperor, so you need to be willing to act without mercy. And there are wards we need to destroy before we can get into the building itself" He waved his hand again and the picture changed to show three lists of names.

"These are the provisional list of names of people we believe are being held there" He pointed to the left hand list "Aurors that were fighting in The Ministry, Diagon Alley and Hosgmeade when The Emperor took over. This is the largest list, but - as I said - it is a provisional list. Azkaban is not a safe place to be, so there is the chance some of them might have died since they were taken there" There were a few moment's silence.

"The middle list is made up of former Ministry staff - workers who refused to join the new administration. We can be reasonably sure they are loyal to the late and somewhat lamented Minister Fudge and so will probably be willing to fight with us if it came to a fight" He paused "The third list, however, is the biggest problem and the reason we are having this meeting" He sat down and Blake stood up.

"Neville has asked me to take this part of the meeting, because he feels he cannot be fully objective about it" She said "Whereas someone who has never lived in Britain, and never went to Hogwarts, might be more suited" She gestured to the names "The majority of those we have rescued have said Albus Dumbledore is not one to give up control, and that if we bring him back here he will not be willing to act in a secondary role" She looked around the room to see several of the students nodding.

"We four have worked together since the start" She continued "And although we do run a fairly democratic group, it has always been understood that the final decision for any action, any mission and any extraction lies with Percy, Kenny, Neville and me" She paused "We are not willing to give up this command structure because we believe it is the way we work best, and because - in the end - it is our lives that are on the line more than any others" She folded her arms "If someone is going to try to take over our group, then we will cease our operations and go back to being students - and trust me when I say people will die because of it. It would not be our first choice, but we are not willing to put our lives in to the hands of others" She smiled.

"Happily we have worked out a way to solve this problem" She waved her hand and the lists vanished to be replaced by a spell "The Ministry workers, the Aurors and most especially members of The Order will be asked to swear one of these two oaths - to retire from the fight and not to interfere, or to be willing to answer to The Council in all matters, while being able to express their point of view at all times" She paused "The oath will ensure that they can still be an active part of the group - should they so desire - but that control remains where it should be. Or they can not be a part of the fight at all if that's what they want"

"What is the oath bound to?" Jennifer asked.

"To their ability to talk" Blake said "If they actively break their oath, they will lose their ability to talk for a day. And the punishment will increase by one day for each time" She paused "However because this is war, and our patience is limited, we also have an agreement with The Parliament of Mages and The Minister that we can withdraw the temporary citizenship of people who break their oath on repeated occasions" There were a few surprised gasps around the room.

"Make no mistake - we will welcome the rescued back from Azkaban with open arms, but we are not going to do it without some insurance" She looked around the room "This is our decision, and it is not open for discussion" She sat down, and Neville rose to his feet again.

"The four of us - who will be known as The Council from now on, it seems" He looked at Blake, who stuck her tongue out at him "Will make our final decision before the end of the week" He paused "If we decide to go ahead, we will arrange squads on Sunday and then launch Project Angband on Tuesday" He looked around "Thank you for coming, and good night"


	5. Project Angband

"Headmistress, might we speak to you?" Olympe looked up to see Percy, Kenny and Blake stood in front of her. 

"By all means" She nodded "Do we need to talk in private?"

"Probably, but I think word of what we're about to do has probably circulated around the school" Blake replied with a smile "In around half an hour, The Angels are going to launch multiple invasions of Britain" She paused "Three groups of your students are going to apparate to multiple locations and blow things up, then apparate away to other locations and blow things up"

"I am assuming there's another part to this plan?" Olympe asked.

"A larger than usual strike force is going to lay waste to Azkaban" Kenny said, and Olympe stared at him in surprise "We're going to rescue around three dozen prisoners first, obviously, but then we're going to raise it to the ground and ensure no one ever gets sent there again"

"And you thought'd you'd warn me first because once The Ministry and The Emperor learn of this they will lose their collective minds and demand retribution the likes of which even Cardovan has never seen?" Olympe said with a smirk.

"The thought had occurred" Kenny admitted "I realise this will put you in a difficult position, and that it will also put Minister Duvall into an equally difficult position but....."

"But you are going to do it anyway?"

"Yes" Percy nodded "However if you want us to call it off we will - you have given us all sanctuary against all common sense, and protected us" She paused "We owe you a great deal, Madame Maxime, so....."

"Go" Olympe said "Do what you must - I will protect you, and I will ensure that Antoinette will as well" She smiled "Take care - I'd hate to lose you"

"We will" Blake said "We'd hate to be lost" The three students turned and walked down the corridor. Olympe watched them go, then turned and walked back towards her office.

"Well - it's not like I really need this job" She said to herself.

xoxox

"REDUCTO! INCENDIO! BOMBARDIA MAXIMUS!" Colin watched as Padma blew up the book shop in Diagon Alley for the second time in as many months. At first he had felt slightly guilty about destroying someone's livelihood, but then Neville had shown him a sample of what they published - "Mudbloods and Magical Theft" - and the guilt had vanished.

"Let's go" He said, and they apparated away and found themselves in the centre of Piccadilly Circus.

"Over there" He said, pointing to the entrance to a side-street. He and Padma ducked into the alley, then they both drew their wands and aimed them upwards.

"Clamour clamourtatus" They whispered, and a moment later a squadron of flying pigs shot out of their wands and into the air, barrelling around the buildings and over the fountain of Eros.

"Damarain Sullation" A trio of unicorns burst out of each of their wands, frolicking around the pigs. 

"Fammal Tramatan" A single giant squid appeared above the top of the buildings, tentacles waving dramatically. 

"I think that's everything we need" Padma said.

"Pretty much" Colin smiled "What's next on the list?"

xoxox

"Minister! There are reports of attacks all over the country!" Lucius looked up from his desk.

"This is happening far too often" He said calmly "Before we dispatch a number of Aurors to deal with these problems, are you certain that it is not a distraction of some kind? That The Angels are not using all these attacks to draw our attention away from somewhere else so they can take more blood traitors and mudbloods out of the country?"

"I am not certain that it matters, Minister" MacNair said "There are dolphins swimming around Blackpool Tower, unicorns bounding around London and a whirlwind ripping through the centre of Glasgow" He paused "I am concerned that if we do nothing - if we leave these events and incidents to escalate then The International Confederation will see it as us not protecting The International Statute"

"The Emperor is not concerned about the piddling trifles of international politics, MacNair"

"The Emperor should be, Prime Minister" MacNair snapped, then took a deep breath "While I believe The ICW are happy to let The Emperor govern Britain as he sees fit that is because it is a purely internal matter - even if they disagree with his methods and his beliefs, they will not interfere with his activities because he is confining himself to the boundaries of this country"

"And?" Lucius stared at him "Get to the point, MacNair"

"My point is that a serious breach of The ISS would be something that falls outside of the boundaries of this country" MacNair said "And something I am pretty sure they would be willing to take action over" He walked forward and leaned on Lucius' desk "Which is not something I think we want to see, Prime Minister" Lucius stared back at him placidly.

"Very well - take all the men you need and deal with these distractions" He said.

"Yes, Prime Minister" MacNair turned and walked towards the door.

"But MacNair?" Lucius called after him.

"Yes, Prime Minister?" MacNair stopped and turned.

"If you are wrong, I will remember this meeting and it will not go well for you"

"Yes, Prime Minister"

xoxox

Blake walked over to join Percy and Kenny.

"The Angel has informed us that the Ministry is emptying out" She said "It's time to go" Percy nodded, then turned to the other four people stood with them.

"We leave in two minutes. We arrive at the far south end of The Island, then make our way through the loading dock" She paused "The dementors are usually on the inside of the prison, but be prepared to encounter them outside.

"Yes, boss" Amelia, George, Fred and Ron nodded.

"Does everyone have their supply of portkeys?" She asked, and they nodded again "Okay - once we've rescued everyone, the Weasley boys can return. Amelia will then lead us to the heart-stone chamber where we will crash the foundations and then torch the place" She smiled "And just to be clear - this is not one of those 'we do it or we die trying' missions. Your lives - all your lives - are far more valuable than anyone else's. Am. I. Clear?"

"You're clear" They nodded.

"Very well" She said "On zero? Three. Two. One. Zero" They all vanished in a swirl of smoke.

xoxox

They reappeared on an outcropping of rock in the middle of a storm.

"Well - this is bracing" Kenny said "Is it always like this?"

"Merlin no" Amelia shook her head "Sometimes it's far worse"

"That is not a comforting thought" Blake laughed, then she looked around "Fred, George - take point. Kenny, Percy - bring up the rear" 

"Boss" They nodded, then fell into step and started making their way along the pathway towards the prison.

xoxox

"FINITE!" Dolohov cancelled the image of the giant squid, then blinked in surprise as it reappeared almost at once "What the....." He turned to his subordinate "How is that possible?"

"I don't know, sir" She replied "Perhaps if we both try at once?"

xoxox

The group arrived at the doors to the loading docks.

"Kenny?" Blake said "You're up" She swapped places with him, and he levelled his wand at the door.

"Ciatio Maunaal" He whispered. A slim purple beam came out of his wand and struck the door, pulsing with an odd radiance. He held his wand level, and watched as the purple light spread out over the surface of the door - prevented from touching it by a shimmering ward.

"Maunaala Atia" He turned his wand slowly to the left, then span it quickly to the right. The light cycled from purple, to blue, to green and back to purple then suddenly flashed bright white. A second later the door sprung open and then dissolved into dust and vanished.

"Well done" Amelia smiled "Might I ask about that charm?"

"You can ask" Kenny said, then looked at Blake "Shall we?"

"We shall" They walked into the doorway, then Blake looked around "The main cell complex is two floors up, but the barracks for the guards stationed here are on the next floor"

"If we can hit those first - get the off duty guards - then we will make our job a lot easier" Amelia said "If we lock the....."

"No" Percy shook her head "We go in, we kill the guards, then we move on" She turned to Amelia "If we lock the doors, we risk them escaping later on and taking us from behind" She paused "And while I am not averse to a little back door action, that's only with people I know - not complete strangers who work for a genocidal warlord" Blake snorted in amusement, while Fred and George smirked and Ron blushed.

"Okay" Amelia nodded reluctantly.

"We kill them in their beds - it is far safer that way" Percy said "Then we move on to the cells, and start freeing the prisoners" She paused "That's where we'll encounter the dementors, so be careful" She looked at the three Weasley brothers "If you don't think you can do this....."

"They killed our mother and father, and we still don't know about Bill" George said "We can do this"

"Okay" Percy nodded "But calm and collected - this isn't revenge. It isn't personal"

"We know" Ron said.

"Just making sure" Blake smiled "Then let's go"

xoxox

Albert Marks laid back in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Serving at Azkaban did have some disadvantages - night duty was never a pleasure, and working with the dementors was definitely his least favourite part of the job.

But Azkaban guards were like the rockstars of the magical world. On his day off, he could get a date with no trouble at all and they were always the prettiest girls in the bar. 

He closed his eyes, picturing the next girl he would be taking out on a date. Maybe a blonde - or a brunette. If he was lucky, he could get his hands on some polyjuice - wouldn't that be a treat. Maybe get the girl to turn into one of his old flames.....

He was brought out of his daydream by the sound of the barrack door opening. 

"Carmichael? Is that you?" He asked without rolling over. When there was no reply, he frowned "Carmichael? Anastasia? Come on guys - stop messing around" He rolled over and sat up, then turned to see who had come in.

"I'm sorry, Mister Marks" A young woman said "Your friends will not be coming, because they are dead. And very soon, most of the others will be dead as well" She paused "Unfortunately you are in the wrong place at the wrong time"

"What?" Albert furrowed his brow "Who are you?"

"My name is Blake" She smiled "And the person standing behind me is going to kill you now" She leaned to one side, and Albert stared past her just in time to see a bolt of green light flying towards him. 

xoxox

"Avada Kedavra" Ron pointed his wand down, and killed the last of the guards sleeping in the other barracks. He looked up at his brothers.

"We're done here" He said "Lets rejoin the others" Without waiting for an answer, he walked back towards the door and stepped out into the corridor. A moment later Fred and George followed him just in time to see The Angels and Amelia walk out of the other barracks.

"All done?" Blake asked.

"Seven of them" Ron nodded.

"We got six" Percy replied.

"That leaves seven more guards and the warden" Amelia said "Assuming they haven't brought any more guards in"

"They haven't" Kenny said.

"Then lets go" Blake said "Remember - we're more likely to encounter dementors from now on, so happy thoughts"

"Not having to do this is quite a happy thought" Fred said with a slight smile, making Blake grin.

"I know we could cover more ground if we split up, but I am also pretty sure we could also die a lot sooner if we did so I'd rather we stick together" She continued "The stairs are just along here"

xoxox

Dolohov and MacNair walked through The Ministry and stopped outside Lucius' office. MacNair knocked and then they entered when bidden. 

"I take it by your presence here that everything is sorted out?" Lucius asked "We are in no more danger of our secret being revealed?"

"If this was The Angels, they are getting better, Prime Minister" Dolohov said "Some of the illusions were very hard to dispel - it took three or four of us at one go to get rid of them"

"Did you find out the reason why all this was taking place?" Lucius looked at them calmly "I understand the destruction, and I understand the potential for getting The ICW to invade Britain and take depose The Emperor. But given that you have taken care of it so quickly and efficiently, it seems somewhat pointless" He continued to stare at them "So what was all this in aid of?"

"I'm afraid it's not entirely clear, Prime Minister"

"Then might I suggest you find out, Mister MacNair" Lucius said, an edge of steel coming into his voice "You too, Mister Dolohov. Because The Emperor will want to know"

"Perhaps they were just letting off steam......" Dolohov started, then trailed off "Perhaps not. We will get on it right away, Prime Minister"

"See that you do" Lucius looked back down at the papers on his desk, then waved his hand "Dismissed"

xoxox

Blake peered round the corner on the second floor, then ducked her head back and turned to the group.

"Fred, George, Percy - on the left. Amelia, Ron, Kenny - on the right. I'll take the middle" She paused "Two of you are in charge of patronus charms, one of you is in charge of portkeys - decide amongst yourself"

"And you?" Amelia asked.

"Killing anyone who gets in our way, and providing help when you need it" She said "Lets go"

xoxox

Andrew Charters drew his knees up to his chest, as the dementor floated past his cell, and tried to push the image of his dying father out of his mind. Then he blinked as a shiny white polar bear bounded past the cell, jaws snapping.

"What....." He blinked again, trying to work out what he was seeing as a figure in a black cloak pointed a wand at the cell door and blasted it open.

"Name?" The figure asked.

"Huh?"

"What's your name?" The figure asked in a kind voice. 

"Andrew Charters" He said "Are you a ghost?"

"No" The figure said with a laugh "My name is Mister Carmine, and I'm here to rescue you" He held out a small circular disk "Take this" Andrew took the disk "It's a portkey, and I'm going to send you somewhere safe - Lothlorien" Andrew shut his eyes as the portkey kicked in, then - when he had stopped moving - he opened them again and found himself in a large white room. 

"Welcome to Beauxbatons" A polite voice said "My name is Neville Longbottom, and you are safe. Might I have your name?"

"Andrew. Andrew Charters" 

"Good afternoon Andrew" Neville smiled "If you'd like to go with this young woman, she will take you somewhere you can get a hot meal, and a shower, then get some rest" 

"Am.... am I really safe?" Andrew asked, looking around.

"You really are" Neville nodded.

"Thank you" Andrew looked up at him "Thank you so much"

xoxox

"That's this floor done" Amelia turned to the group "We've rescued most of the Aurors, and I think a dozen Ministry staff" She paused "No Order members yet"

"We can take five minutes" Blake said "And I think - given we've been driving the dementors this way, I think they will be stronger on the next floor so it's only going to get harder"

"We've come this far" Ron replied "It would be a shame to leave with the job half done" Blake smiled.

"Okay then" She paused "Five minutes to rest and recharge"

xoxox

"What am I missing?" Dolohov stared across the table at the other Aurors and a few of the Death Eaters "They arrive, they cause mayhem and chaos, the blow stuff up and then they leave?" 

"It's a distraction" MacNair replied "It has to be"

"But a distraction from what?" Dolohov leaned back in his chair "There have been no attacks, no extractions, no invasions" He shook his head "If this is a distraction what are we being distracted from?"

xoxox

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"  
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"  
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Blake watched with more than a little pride as a quad of shiny silver animals charged along the passageway, driving the horde of dementors back as they went. 

"Lothlorien!"  
"Lothlorien!"

Two swirls of light took two more Ministry workers away, and then the groups moved onto the next pair of cells.

She looked over her shoulder.

"Bugger" She cursed "EXPECTO PATRONUM! EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Two silver swans shot out of her wand and shot down the passageway, chasing away the dementors that were trying to sneak up on them from behind.

"Amelia - can we get to the heart-stone chamber from the third floor?" She called out.

"Yes - there are multiple stairways" Amelia called back.

"Good" Blake replied, then she pointed her wand at the ceiling of the passageway "REDUCTO! REDUCTO! REDUCTO!" The ceiling exploded, then a cascade of stone collapsed downwards, creating an almost solid wall between them and the stairway behind them. 

She turned back to see the other six staring at her in surprise.

"The dementors are finding ways to attack us from behind" Blake explained "And I am with Percy about being taken from behind - it's only fun when it's between two consenting adults" This time they just rolled their eyes. 

"Okay - back to work. Not a lot to do, and lots of time to do it" She grinned.

xoxox

Hagrid stared out of the window and watched the lightning strike the sea in a dozen places. 

Ever since Fudge had had him locked up in here during The Chamber of Secrets fiasco, he had loathed the place, and being there for the last two years hadn't made him hate it any less.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"  
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Hagrid turned, then stared in surprise as the door to his cell was blown off its hinges and a figure in a black cloak walked in.

"Hagrid?" The figure said.

"George?" Hagrid replied "George Weasley? What are you doing in Azkaban?"

"I'm here to rescue you" George replied "Take this" He held out a small circular disk "It's a portkey that will take you somewhere safe" Hagrid looked down at it.

"Are you coming with me?" Hagrid asked.

"Not yet" George shook his head "There are a few more people we have to help first" 

"Oh, right" Hagrid nodded, then he took the portkey "Where am I going?"

"You'll see" George smiled "Lothlorien" He watched as Hagrid vanished, then he turned, then turned back and walked over to the window. He stared out of it for a few seconds.

"Oh crap" He exclaimed, then turned and walked back into the passageway.

"We've got a problem" He said.

xoxox

Avery lead the group onto the receiving dock at Azkaban.

"Dolohov believes there might be a group of terrorists trying to stage a breakout" He said to the dozen Aurors he had brought with him "Rather than sound the alarm and make them aware of our presence, we wanted to catch them unawares"

"Wouldn't the dementors have taken care of them already?" One of the Aurors asked.

"Possibly" Avery said "But there are a lot of high value prisoners here - we can't afford to let anyone - let alone The Angels - take them" He paused "If we can't drive the terrorists out, we have been given permission to kill the prisoners" He drew his wand.

"First - we check the barracks to see if the off duty staff can help us. Then we proceed to the cells - one team on each floor"

xoxox

"REDUCTO! REDUCTO! REDUCTO!" 

Septimus Vector watched in slight shock as the ceiling of the passageway outside her cell exploded and collapsed into a pile of rubble.

"Well that's unusual" She said to herself "Is Voldemort redecorating?"

"No, Professor Vector - The Emperor is not redecorating" A voice outside her cell said "We just didn't want the dementors sneaking up on us, or The Aurors for that matter" Septimus looked up to see a figure dressed in a black cloak. 

"I can see why that might be annoying" Septimus said in a calm voice "Although now I do have a few more questions"

"Let me guess" The figure said as she drew her wand "Who am I? What am I doing here? How did I get here? Where are we going? How are we going to get there? Do we have a map?" She paused "I might have got off track - sorry" She pointed her wand at the cell door "REDUCTO!" The door flew open.

"Professor - we are here to rescue you and your associates" She pulled a small disc out of her pocket "Take this and we will get you somewhere safe"

"Is there really anywhere safe?"

"Yes" The figure nodded "Take this and you'll be okay" Septimus took it the disc.

"Thank you - whoever you are"

"My name is Percy, Professor" Percy smiled "And you are going to Lothlorien"

xoxox

"They're all dead, sir" The Auror turned around to face Avery "It looks like they were all killed with a single killing curse"

"Very well" Avery took a deep breath "Split up - one team on each floor. Find whoever did this and kill them. If it looks like you can't, kill the prisoners"

"Yes, sir"

xoxox

"There are just four names left, Blake" Fred said "Sprout, McGonagall, Dumbledore and a woman named Mrs Figg"

"If The Aurors are coming, they'll be here soon" Blake replied "Fred, George, Ron - far end of the passageway. No one gets past you - not dementors, not Aurors. Amelia, Percy - portkeys. Fast as you can - I know they'll be scared and relieved, but if you could get them to safety as fast as possible it would be better"

"What about you two?" Percy asked.

"Kenny and I are going to secure the stairway to the heart-stone chamber" She replied "And kill anyone we find along the way, of course"

"Of course"

"Once we have secured a path, we'll come back and bring you down" Blake continued "Make sure you've got everyone out by then"

"Yes m'am" Percy nodded, then smirked "Take care - we'd hate to lose you" Blake laughed.

"You know the rest" She replied, then she and Kenny walked off down the corridor and vanished out of sight. Fred, George and Ron followed along, and lined up in position.

"Okay" Percy said "Do you want the left or the right?"

xoxox

"It's a cave in" Jemma Gordon stared at pile of rocks "Someone did this"

"We'll have to go round" Her partner - Lee Harper - replied.

"Are you sure?" Jemma Gordon took a step back and pointed her wand at the wall of rubble.

"Don't!" Lee said "You're going to collapse the roof on us"

"REDUCTO!" Jemma bellowed. Her wand bucked as a bolt of red light shot from it and blasted the pile of stone and rubble apart. Jemma turned to Lee and grinned. 

"See......" She started, then she stared upwards as a loud rumbling sound came from above.

"Oh crap" Lee said, and a moment later, the entire ceiling collapsed on them. 

xoxox

"Amelia?" Minerva McGonagall rose to her feet as Amelia blasted the door off her cell "What are you doing here?"

"I am here to rescue you, Minerva" Amelia said, then she withdrew a small disc from her pocket "Please take this - it will take you somewhere safe" Minerva looked down at it.

"What about my associates? Albus? The other staff?"

"They are being taken care of" Amelia said "Minerva - there are Death Eaters on the way and we don't have much time"

"Are you...."

"I still have things to do" Amelia glanced over her shoulder "Minerva - if you don't take this, I am going to stun you and put it on your body. Take it now!" Minerva held out her hand, and Amelia dropped the disc into it.

"Lothlorien" She said, and watched as the former Professor vanished. Then she turned and walked out into the passageway and across to the other cell.

xoxox

"I understand, Percy" Pomona Sprout nodded "Thank you"

"You're welcome, Professor Sprout" Percy smiled "Lothlorien"

xoxox

"This is the heart-stone chamber?" Blake looked around the large cavernous room "It's empty" She looked at her partner "I was kind of expecting some kind of stone, since this is the centre of the wards"

"Maybe we need to do something" Kenny said "A spell? A revealing charm?" He looked around "Amelia would know"

"Okay" She nodded "Lets get back"

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that" A voice said from behind them. They both turned to see two Aurors stood there, pointing a pair of wands at them.

xoxox

"Mrs Figg - my name is Amelia Bones and I'm here to get you out of here" Amelia said.

"Thank you" Arabella Figg got slowly to her feet.

"If you'd like to take this, it will take you somewhere safe" Amelia held out a small disc, but before Arabella could take it, there was a shout from behind them.

"REDUCTO!"

"AVADA KEDAVRA"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA"

Acting on instinct, Amelia dropped to one knee, then watched as Arabella flew backwards and crashed into the wall. 

Dropping to the floor and rolling on to her back, she pointed her wand out of the cell, but all she saw was the Weasley brothers staring at the dead bodies of two Aurors. 

"What happened?" She asked.

"I'm sorry, Amelia" Fred said "They came out of nowhere - got off a spell before we knew they were there" He looked past her "Is she...."

"Yes" Amelia nodded sadly "Whether it was the curse, or her head crashing into the wall......." She closed her eyes "Damn it"

"It wasn't your fault, Director - we missed them" Ron said.

"I know, but still....." She took a deep breath "I'll send her back and we can mourn her when we get home" She walked back into the cell and put the disc onto Arabella's body "Lothlorien" Before it had even vanished, she turned round and walked back to join the three Weasleys. Raising her wand, she stared into the darkness.

xoxox

Blake and Kenny stared at the two Aurors in front of them, then Blake laughed.

"Is this the best The Ministry can send?" She asked "Can't they even send someone who can point their wand correctly?"

"What?" One of the Aurors asked.

"Look" Blake strode over to them, and took hold of the Auror on the lefts wrist "If you are going to threaten someone - and convince them they are being threatened - you have to point your wand at their heart" She moved it up to point at Kenny's heart "Not at their stomach" She lowered it again until it was pointing at Kenny's stomach.

"If you point it at their heart" She whipped his arm up again "Then a spell will either stop their heart, or blow them off their feet and possibly even crack their head open" She yanked his arm down again "If you hit them in the stomach, all it will do is give them a stomach ache and maybe fold them in two" She sighed "Is that really what you want to do? No. You want to do as much damage as possible by hitting them in the heart" She whipped his arm up but this time yanked it over his head and behind his back, twisting it as hard as she could.

At the same time, Kenny raised his wand and blasted the other Auror off his feet. 

By the time he hit the ground, Blake had broken the arm of the first Auror and taken his wand.

"The other thing you shouldn't do is let your prisoner yank your arm up and down" She said, then pointed his wand at his face "REDUCTO!"

xoxox

"Albus Dumbledore?" Percy blasted the door off the cell and strode into the stone room.

"Yes, my dear?" Albus emerged from the shadows in the corner "You aren't a prison guard - might I ask your name?"

"You can ask, but that doesn't mean you will get" She replied, then held out a disc "In around ten minutes, this entire prison will go up in flames, and five minutes after that it will be rubble. If you want to be somewhere else when that happens take this - it's a portkey that will take you somewhere safe" Albus stared at it for a moment, then looked up at her.

"A portkey that can get through Azkaban wards - that is an impressive feat. Might I ask how you achieved it?"

"You can ask, but...."

"I believe I know the rest" He said, waving his hand "There are a number of other prisoners who require rescuing....."

"You are the last one, Albus" She said "Now - are you going to take the portkey, or are you going to die in the inferno to come?" She held out the portkey "I will not ask again" Albus gazed at her for a moment longer, then he reached out and took it.

"Wise choice, Albus" She said drily "Lothlorien" He vanished in a swirl of light, and she turned and walked out in to the passageway.

"My gods that man is frustrating" She said as she walked up behind the others "We are here to save his bloody life and he still tries to negotiate with us"

"We did try to warn you" Ron said with a smile.

"I promise you - if he doesn't agree to take either of the oaths, I will have no hesitation about dropping him naked in the middle of Diagon Alley" Percy growled.

"Well - that's an image I didn't need" Fred and George said in unison.

"If it helps, he will be on fire when I do it" Percy said with a bright smile.

"That does help a little" George admitted.

"Anyway - the prisoners are all freed" Percy finished, then she caught sight of Amelia's expression "Director?"

"Arabella Figg was killed" She said "The Weasley boys got the ones who killed her, but that doesn't make her any less dead"

"I'm sorry" Percy sighed "I know it sucks, but if we only lost one person out of everyone we came to rescue, that is a lot better than I had hope it would end up"

"I know, and tomorrow that might bring me some comfort" Amelia said darkly "For now - lets just get on with the end of the plan"

"You took the words right out of my mouth" Blake said from out of the darkness, then held up her hands as all five of them span round with their wands up "Fred, George, Ron - you can return home"

"You won't need us?" Fred asked.

"The path to the heart-stone chamber is secured, and given whats about to happen you will be much safer back home" Blake nodded "Just one thing - can you leave any talk about the oath until we get there? I'd rather that come from us"

"Of course" The three Weasley boys nodded. Then they each took a portkey out of their bags.

"Lothlorien"  
"Lothlorien"  
"Lothlorien"

"Amelia - we found the chamber, but it was totally empty" Kenny said "Is there something we're missing?" Amelia frowned, then suddenly her eyes widened.

"Yes" She said "Lets go"

xoxox

"What is going on here?" Avery demanded as he stared at the collapsed tunnel. He turned round "Where are the dementors? Where are the rest of our Aurors?"

"I don't know" The Auror admitted "I haven't seen a dementor since I arrived - they all seem to have fled. Two floors are blocked off - one with a roof collapse and with with a minor blockage. And the rest of the Aurors are just...... missing" He paused "And I think all of the prisoners are missing from their cells as well"

"FIND THEM!" Avery bellowed "I will not be made a fool of. Find the Aurors and find whoever is doing this" He paused "And find the prisoners - they can't have left the island. Not with the wards still up"

"Yes, sir" The Auror nodded, then turned and walked away. Avery turned and walked back towards the wardens' office.

xoxox

Amelia lead the others into the heart-stone chamber and walked to the centre of it.

"Can you see the four marks on the floor?" She asked, and they all looked down.

"Yes" Blake nodded.

"Blake - I want you to stand in the east. Kenny - take the west. Percy - the south" She turned and walked to the symbol that represented north as the others took their places.

"Please raise your wands and point them at the mark in the centre of the ceiling" She continued "Then repeat after me - revelius cor lapis lavallus" A beam of bright gold light shot out of her wand and struck the mark in the ceiling.

"revelius cor lapis lavallus"  
"revelius cor lapis lavallus"  
"revelius cor lapis lavallus" Three more beams joined the one from Amelia's wand and then - after a few seconds - a large, gold stone faded into view in the middle of the room. 

Amelia lowered her wand - a move mirrored by the other three mages.

"This is the heart-stone. It controls the wards, yes, but more than that it is the foundation of the prison" She paused "Destroy this and Azkaban will collapse"

"Thank you, Director" Blake smiled "You can go home now" Amelia nodded, then pulled out a portkey and vanished.

"So - here we are" Kenny said "Once we do this, The Emperor will want our heads"

"He wants them anyway" Percy pointed out.

"That's true" Kenny admitted "Can you think of any reason we shouldn't do this?"

"If the rescued liberate Britain they might want to use this place again" Blake said.

"That seems like more of a reason to blow it up, if you ask me" Percy said.

"Also a good point" Blake admitted.

"So we're all agreed?" Kenny asked.

"Yes"

"Yes"

"Okay" Kenny reached into his robes and pulled out a leather pouch "We scatter these around here, then lead them back up the stairs" He said "If we lead a trail out by the loading docks we can trigger a path through there that will blow the entire place up"

"So we can watch it burn, then leave?" Blake asked "I can live with that"

"And just in case there are any Aurors hanging around, we cloak them" Kenny grinned.

"Now that is my kind of plan"

xoxox

Avery stared at document on the warden's desk, trying to figure out what it meant.

"Ward-stone unprotected?" He said to himself "What does that...... " He trailed off "No! NO!!!" He bolted to his feet and ran out of the office.

xoxox

Blake and Percy watched Kenny scatter the last few black cubes at the entrance to the loading docks and then walk over to join them.

"Blake - would you care to do the honours?" Kenny asked.

"Why thank you, sweetie" She said, then she drew her wand and pointed it at the doors to the loading docks.

xoxox

Avery bolted into the heart-stone chamber and stared at the large block of gold stone in the centre of the room. Then he looked around, and saw a number of black blocks lying on the ground.

Black blocks he had heard of before. From reports of the attack on The Burrow. 

xoxox

"INCENDIO!"

xoxox

Avery turned and started up the stairs, only to see a wall of fire coming the other way towards him.

"Well" He thought "That sucks"

xoxox

The Angels watched as fire ripped through Azkaban, exploding out of every window. After a moment, the ground floor started to bulge outwards and then - all of a sudden - the entire building seemed to explode outwards without going anywhere, and a moment later all that was left was a huge pile of rubble. 

"Well" Blake turned to the other two "I'd say that was a job very well done"


	6. That's Not Our Problem Anymore

Percy, Blake and Kenny reappeared in the receiving room and looked around to see their friends busy at work. For a moment they simply surveyed the scene, then suddenly Neville noticed them and started applauding. This caught everyone else's attention and soon the entire room was filled with applause.

They let it go on for a few moments, then Blake raised her hand.

"Thank you" She said "Thank you" She smiled "Project Angband was a success - we rescued fifty seven prisoners, and - as we speak - Azkaban is a burning pile of rubble" There were more cheers and applause.

"The liberation of Azkaban is complete, and while Arabella Figg lost her life in the process, we saved the others and for that I think we can be thankful" She paused "And a large part of that is down to all of you - those who helped plan the liberation, those who went on the distraction missions to stall The Ministry, those who helped design the curses and the spells we used and all those who have been helping the returned" She looked around "You can all be very proud of what we have accomplished here today - fifty seven people rescued from hell on earth, and we have ensured that no one will ever be condemned to that fate again" She smiled "So take a moment to look around and think about what you have done - but just a moment, because that is all you can really spare" There was another burst of cheers and applause, then the three Angels walked out of the receiving circle and over to where Amelia, Fred, Ron and George were sat on two hospital beds.

"Evening" Percy said "Have you all been checked out?"

"We're all fine" Amelia said "Thank you"

"You all did well today - you should be proud" Percy paused, then looked at Amelia "We will take care of Arabella, and arrange a funeral for her the day after tomorrow"

"Thank you" Amelia smiled "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to and have a number of drinks"

"One question before you go - who is the senior Auror?"

"Isabella Kyle" Amelia replied "Or at least she was before they were imprisoned"

"Thank you" Percy nodded "Enjoy your evening" She turned to the three Weasleys "Do you know where I might find Albus Dumbledore? I think we should deal with this sooner rather than later"

"The Order members are all over there, being seen to by Lavender and Colin" Ron replied "Do you need us for anything else?"

"You want to get drunk as well?" Blake asked with a smile.

"The thought had occurred" George admitted.

"Then go and enjoy your evening as well. And thank you - you all did above and beyond what we could have expected of you today. We are very grateful" Blake nodded. The three of them smiled, then all turned and left the room. 

"Ready for this?" Kenny asked.

"Not in the least" Percy admitted.

"Good to know" Blake laughed, then she and Percy walked over to where The Order were sat, while Kenny walked over to the Aurors.

"Isabelle Kyle?" He called out, and a moment later a middle-aged woman stood up.

"I am Miss Kyle" She replied.

"The Director says you were the senior Auror" Kenny said "Would you be able to speak for the others? At least on a provisional basis?"

"Yes" She nodded "They are still nominally under my command, and while we don't work for The Ministry any more I think they'll still listen"

"Good" Kenny smiled "Would you come with me please? We have something we'd like to discuss with you" She looked at him curiously, then followed him as she lead him over to where Blake and Percy were talking to The Order members.

"May I introduce Isabella Kyle, senior Auror?" He said "Miss Kyle - my associates Blake and Percy"

"A pleasure" Isabella nodded.

"Likewise" Blake inclined her head "Please have a seat" After Isabella had settled herself, she looked at the Order members arrayed in front of her.

"For those of you who don't know us, we are The Angels of Arven. For the past few years, we've been staging extractions of 'at risk' citizens of magical Britain, as well as their families. We started with Neville Longbottom, who has since become our most trusted ally and confidant" She paused "Today's incursion into Azkaban was by far and away the largest extraction we have staged - fifty seven prisoners rescued, over two dozen Aurors dead and, on our way out, Azkaban prison raised to the ground" She smiled.

"We have achieved this because we work as a team" Neville said, walking up behind them "A team that can question their leadership but understands that once a decision is made it is made and that is it" He paused "The original three Angels are that leadership and they have the final say over all matters that pertain to this team. People can make suggestions, or representations, but the final decision rests with them" He looked at Blake, Percy and Kenny.

"We have all taken an oath to that affect, and we have all sworn to follow their leadership, come what may" He said calmly.

"So you - all of you - have a choice to make" Blake said "You an join our group - we would welcome your wisdom, and your experience. The Aurors clearly have far more experience in fighting than we do, and all of you have been doing this a lot longer than we have" She paused "However you have to understand that if you become part of our group you will be required to follow the rules of our group"

"You will have to accept that The Angels are the final authority in all things" Neville said "That they - that we - will brook no challenges to that authority, and that when we make a decision and announce that decision it cannot be challenged or questioned" 

"And if you are part of an extraction team, or a distraction team, you must follow any plans that we provide, and not make up your own" Kenny said "These rules are inviolable, and apply to everyone who is a part of our organisation - and if you become a part of our organisation they will apply to you as well"

"You have a few days to decide if you wish to join up, or if you want to retire and stay out of the fight" Blake finished "If you choose to retire no one will think any the less of you, I promise you that. But if you decide to join up, then you will be required to follow our rules or face the consequences if you don't" She looked at each of them in turn.

"When you've made your decision, talk to Mister Longbottom and he will inform us - we will proceed from there" She smiled "In the meantime - get some rest, and welcome to Beauxbatons"

xoxox

"We are here today, to lay our friend and colleague to rest" Two days later, The Order, along with a number of former Hogwarts students, gathered in the cemetery at the edge of the Beauxbatons' grounds. Albus stood at the head of a grave, with a small wooden casket laid next to it.

"Arabella Figg was a loyal member of The Order for over six decades, and fought the good fight against the darkness with all her strength" He paused "Her service to both The Order, and to the cause, will be remembered by us all, and her death is a great loss for all of us, and she will be greatly missed" He drew his wand, then watched as everyone else did the same "Let us provide a light against the dark, and a beacon in dark times. Lumous solaris"

"Lumos solaris!" The assembled mourners echoed, and two dozen wands lit up creating a wave of light surrounding the graveside. Albus lowered his wand, and levitated Arabella's coffin into the grave, then transported the dirt to fill in the grave.

"Sellenus ensellus" He said in a calm voice, and the grave was covered over in grass. He bowed his head for a moment, then looked up.

"Thank you all for coming" He said "I know that Arabella would have appreciated it" He looked around the group "There will be a wake this evening at seven o'clock. You are all invited"

xoxox

At the edge of the cemetery, three figures stood and watched as the burial party broke up.

"He hasn't changed all that much, as he?" 

"Not noticeably"

"The focus on service, and devotion to duty - it's all about her service to him and her devotion to him"

"Pretty much"

"He hasn't made his decision yet, has he? About which oath he is going to take?"

"Nope"

"So we're expecting a fight, aren't we?"

"Almost certainly" 

"Swell" The three of them watched as Albus fell into step with Minerva, Sprout and Hagrid and left the cemetery, heading back up towards the school. They then turned and walked off into the shadows.

xoxox

That evening - at the wake - Albus sat down next to Amelia.

"How are you doing, Albus?" She asked "I understand you were friends with Arabella for most of her life?"

"Her parents were students of mine, and when they were killed during Grindelwald's war I promised I would look after her" Albus nodded "Even though she couldn't come to Hogwarts, and that she wasn't magical, she was a dedicated member of The Order and provided information from the muggle world that helped us saved dozens of lives" He sighed "She guarded Mister Potter for most of his early life, and was instrumental in insuring he made it to Hogwarts alive"

"She sounds like she was a brave and good person" Amelia smiled.

"A true Gryffindor, if ever there was one" Albus leaned back in the sofa "Unfortunately I couldn't persuade her to leave Britain when Tom came to power - she said she could serve us better by remaining the muggle world and doing what she had done her entire life" He shook his head "Perhaps if I had been more insistent - if I had been more persuasive - she wouldn't have been arrested and imprisoned"

"We all have regrets, Albus" Amelia replied "And I believe it was you who said it does not do to dwell on the past" He looked at her, then gave her a faint smile.

"And who am I to ignore such wise advice?" He took a deep breath "Director - do you believe that this is a good idea?"

"Getting drunk to commemorate the life of a fallen comrade?" She asked "It's a tried and true method - I don't think there are any overt dangers in it" She paused "Unless we get so drunk that we accidentally set the curtains on fire, but I haven't done that since I was in cadet school"

"While that is good to know, Director, that isn't what I was talking about" Albus said drily.

"I understand Albus, but I am not certain that this is the best place to discuss it" She smiled "I am also not the best person with whom to discuss it. If you want to talk about The Angels, Mister Longbottom is their liaison - you should take this up with him" Albus stared at her.

"That..... boy? He is a child"

"That boy saved my life, and the life of dozens of others, including you and your Order" She replied "So I would suggest giving him more respect" She smiled "So tell me - what was Arabella like when she was out in the field?"

xoxox

"Mister Longbottom - might I have a word?" Rolanda Hooch and Septimus Vector fell into step with Neville as the approached the grand hall. 

"Professor Hooch, Professor Vector - always a pleasure" He gave a polite nod "How did you sleep?"

"It was the first night in two years I have slept through the night without nightmares" Rolanda replied quietly "The first night in two years there were no dementors to haunt and terrorise me. The first night there were no guards to taunt me" She closed her eyes for a moment "It was almost impossible to sleep because I kept expecting to be woken up"

"You get used to it" Neville said softly "Eventually" He looked at Septimus "Professor?"

"I can't go back there" She said "I just can't" She took a deep breath "We don't want to abandon you while the fight is half done, but we would both rather die than risk ending up back there again"

"I understand" Neville said "You are not the first to express feelings like this" He smiled "The Ministry will find you a place to stay, and you will be given an extension on your citizenship until your country is liberated - you will not be forced to return there against your will. Not now, not in the future" He paused "Not ever"

"Thank you" Rolanda said, then furrowed her brow "Your country?"

"Pardon me?" Neville looked at her.

"You said 'until your country is liberated'" Rolanda said "You don't see Britain as your country any more?"

"I am a citizen of France" Neville shrugged "The only reason that The Angels and I are saving students, and their families, is because we don't want the innocent to suffer"

"And you don't think that Britain would be better off without Voldemort in charge?" Septimus raised her eyebrows.

"That isn't our problem - Britain rejected me. It rejected a lot of us" He paused "Why should we risk our lives to save a country that doesn't care about us?" They stared at him "I will give your decision to The Angels, and you can swear your oaths tonight at dinner" He turned and walked off, leaving the former teachers staring after him. 

Neither they, nor he, saw a third figure watching from a passage. A figure that turned and vanished into the shadows.

xoxox

"Albus?" 

"Yes, Minerva?"

"We need to talk"

xoxox

"It doesn't surprise me" Kenny looked across the table at Neville "I wouldn't want to go back there and I only spent an hour in there. I couldn't imagine what it would be like after two or three years" He paused "Have you been approached by anyone else?"

"Not yet" Neville shook his head "Although - if I'm honest - I am pretty sure we're going to be expecting a visit from Hagrid before the end of the night"

"Hagrid?" Kenny tilted his head to one side.

"He was imprisoned a few years before Britain fell, and he swore he'd never go back then" Neville said "And Dumbledore promised him he would never go back" He closed his eyes "The Headmaster betrayed him - he let him be sent back to hell on earth. As loyal as Hagrid might be, I am not sure he will ever be able to forgive him for that" 

"Would you?" Kenny asked.

"Not even if he paid me" Neville shook his head.

"What about the others?" Kenny folded his arms "Sprout? McGonagall?"

"I don't know" Neville admitted "I think they are probably still loyal and will fight on for a bit" He shrugged "But I've been wrong in the past so I admit I'm not willing to put money on it just yet"

"That's probably wise" They both turned as Blake and Percy walked into the chamber "Because there's news, and I think it may change things"

xoxox

"Olympe" Antoinette walked into the Headmistress' office.

"Madame Minister" Olympe stood up "To what do I owe....."

"Voldemort has gone to Hogwarts" Antoinette said quickly "He has openly taken control of the school, replaced his puppet Snape as Headmaster and declared himself as The Founder's Heir" Olympe stared at her, eyes widening in disbelief.

"I take it that's supposed to be important?"

"Honestly? We not really sure" Antoinette admitted "The Emperor has been in control of Hogwarts for over two years"

"Ever since he sent most of the staff to Azkaban" Olympe nodded.

"We initially thought this was a vanity move, or a reaction to The Angels blowing up Azkaban" Antoinette sat down in the chair in front of Olympe's desk "That The Emperor was trying to enforce his authority since The Angels crushed it and utterly humiliated him" 

"And 'The Founder's Heir'?" Olympe asked "What's that about?"

"Honestly?" Antoinette shrugged "We have no idea. The Parliament has very little knowledge about British magical history and my own personal knowledge is somewhat limited" She paused "Which is the other reason I am here" Olympe stared at her, then sighed.

"You want me to talk to some of our new arrivals" She said.

"I realise that he isn't your favourite person, Olympe, but we need to know if this declaration means anything or not" Antoinette said sympathetically "If it is a new phase of the war or it is just The Emperor showing off because The Angels are wiping the floor with him"

"I will talk to him at the evening meal" Olympe replied "The Angels are going to be taking loyalty oaths from our new arrivals - once that's complete I'll talk to Albus and Minerva"

"Thank you" Antoinette smiled "Loyalty oaths?" Olympe returned her smile.

"Long story, which I will be happy to explain later" She stood up "Would you like to come with us? See all the good work we have done?" Antoinette gazed at her for a moment, then nodded.

"I think I would" She stood up as well "Lead the way"

xoxox

"Ladies and gentlemen, assembled students - please be upstanding for The Minister of Magic, Madame Antoinette Duvall" Olympe called out, then she and Antoinette walked down the central aisle as the students and adults rose to their feet. 

They walked round the top table and as Antoinette sat down, Olympe smiled, and watched as the various students, teachers, Aurors and other people present retook their seats. 

"We are here tonight to welcome a new group to our family" She said "And although, of course, this is entirely unofficial and we would never admit to doing any of this in in any governmental capacity because it is entirely against the laws of so many countries I wouldn't know where to begin, I would like to introduce the informal head of The Angels, Mister Neville Longbottom" Almost at once nearly the entire student body jumped to their feet and began applauding as Neville walked up to the top table and shook Olympe's hand, then also shook Antoinette's. 

He turned and faced the applauding crowd, then waved his hand for everyone to sit down again.

"Thank you, thank you" He said, then smiled "While I am not certain I deserve as much of the praise as you seem to want to give me, I will gladly accept it on behalf of everyone else who has helped us" He paused "I will also accept it on behalf of Blake, Percy and Kenny who - for obvious reasons - have left the evening for me to conduct" There was a wave of laughter.

"Some of our new arrivals are still mulling over their decisions - something I can understand. When I was first asked to make this choice, I have to give it some serious thought. Fighting for your country when you are in the moment is one thing, but making a conscious decision to do it when you are safe, warm and well fed is something else entirely" He paused "It takes a lot of courage to return to the fight, and an equal amount to admit that such a fight is beyond you" He smiled.

"So tonight a number of new arrivals have consented to take their oaths and set off on a new path" He drew his wand "I hope you will welcome them, as we were once welcomed" There was a warm round of applause "With that in mind, could those who spoke to me earlier about joining our group please line up to my left, and could the others please line up on my right" He took a step back as around thirty Aurors, ten Ministry staff and Pomona Sprout came forward and lined up to his left, while six Aurors, one member of The Ministry and Rolanda, Septimus and Hagrid lined up on the right. Neville looked at them, then smiled and walked to the group on the right.

"Please repeat after me" He said "I swear that from this moment on I will take no part of the coming fight. I will not interfere in the decisions of The Angels, and I will stay out of the work of the organisation until the work is done. I swear this knowing the punishments I will be subject to should I break my oath - the loss of my voice and of my liberty and, should my violations persist, my citizenship. I do so swear this of my own free will" He paused, then realised they were staring at him "I should possibly repeat that in parts, I guess?"

xoxox

Albus watched, his expression darkening, as his former staff members swore they would no longer be a part of the fight. When he heard Hagrid's voice amongst the others, he closed his eyes. 

Minerva had warned him this was coming, but he hadn't truly believed it - that his own staff would turn against him. 

"......I do so swear of my own free will"

"Thank you" Neville smiled "On behalf of The Angels, of Beauxbatons and of The Parliament of Mages I wish you every luck in your future lives" There was another warm round of applause. 

"And now for our new recruits" Neville said "I will run through the oath first, and then - if you decide you want to take it, you can repeat after me. If not, you can have more time" He smiled.

"I swear that from this moment on I will be a member of The Angels. I will take part in the planning, training and execution of missions for distraction, extraction or destruction. I swear that after the discussions, debates and deliberations are done, I promise to obey the commands and instructions of The Angels and their nominated proxies both in the field and at home, under any all circumstances that these commands and instructions are given. I swear this knowing the punishments I will be subject to should I break this oath - the loss of my voice and my liberty and, should my violations persist, my citizenship. I do so swear this of my own free will" Neville paused "Before I ask you to swear this, I want to be clear - if you lose you citizenship, any demands for extradition that might come from the British government will be honoured by The Parliament of Mages"

"Excuse me?" Albus rose to his feet "Are you saying, Mister Longbottom, that if we don't do whatever you say that you will turn us over to Lord Voldemort?"

"I am sure you are capable of working out what my words mean, Mister Dumbledore" Neville replied "And, as I said, no one will be forced to take this oath against their will. Now - if you will take your seat, I have something to do" Albus stared at him, then slowly sat down. Neville watched him for a moment then turned back to the group stood in front of him.

"As I said - revocation of you citizenship means that extradition requests will be honoured" He said "So if anyone wants to rethink their choice, now is the time" He fell silent for a moment, but no one moved.

"Very well" He smiled "Repeat after me....."

xoxox

"Minister!" Albus strode out of the hall after Olympe and Antoinette "Might I have a word?" The two women exchanged glances, then stopped and turned to face him.

"Mister Dumbledore" Antoinette gave him a polite nod "I am glad to see that you seem to have recovered from your stay in Azkaban. When The Angels said they were going to liberate the prison, I did so hope they would be able to free you"

"And I am very grateful to them" He replied brusquely "However I am wondering if you were aware of what was going to happen tonight?"

"It was the reason why I was invited" She nodded "Olympe thought I could would like to see what I have been helping with all this time" She smiled "I have to say that I was very impressed"

"I meant - were you aware that Mister Longbottom was going to make dozens of people swear to obey him or risk being returned to Britain?" Albus asked.

"Is that what happened?" Antoinette turned to Olympe "Did you see young Neville make anyone swear to obey him, Headmistress?"

"No" Olympe shook her head "I saw people obey to swear the leaders of the group they joined, but they did that of their own free will" She turned back to Albus "Perhaps we were not paying attention - could you tell us what we missed, Mister Dumbledore?"

"You know full well what I am referring to, Minister" Albus frowned "Are you going to permit anyone else to swear this?"

"Everyone rescued was an adult, Albus" Antoinette said firmly "And as such they are free to swear to whatever they see fit" She paused "I am not a member of The Angels, Mister Dumbledore, neither is Olympe"

"Do you know who they are?" He demanded.

"We have only ever spoken to their liaison - Mister Longbottom" Olympe replied "So I suggest if you really wish to take this up with them, you start with him" She paused "Good evening, Mister Dumbledore" Before he could say anything else, they turned and strode off down the corridor.

Albus stared after them for a moment, then turned to find himself facing three Beauxbatons students.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"No, Mister Dumbledore" Jayce replied "We were just returning to our common room"

"We didn't mean to eavesdrop, but you were talking rather loudly" Francis said apologetically "Perhaps we could be of assistance?"

"Unless you can direct me to The Angels, I doubt it" Albus replied with a frown.

"Sorry" River shook her head "No one knows who The Angels are - I mean, they are possibly the greatest heroes our school has had, but ever since they first went to extract Neville their identities have been the greatest secret our school has had"

"Not even Neville knows who they are" Francis said.

"What about your Headmistress?" He asked.

"There are rumours" Jayce admitted "But she has always firmly denied it, and given that she's stood up for us, and for all of the rescued, we've had no reason to doubt her" He shrugged "She has been our most staunch defender, so we owe her nothing less in return"

"And no one has ever tried to find out who The Angels are?" Albus stared at them in disbelief.

"Why would we?" River asked "They routinely risk their lives for strangers - to save innocents they've never met simply because it is the right thing to do" She paused "And all they ask is that we protect their secret"

"Is it really that big a thing, given how big a thing it is that they're doing?" Francis gazed at him. 

"If you don't know who they are, how can you ever trust them?" He asked.

"If we truly trust them - really and truly trust them - why do we need to know who they are?" River said simply, then she took Francis' hand and the three of them walked off down the corridor.

xoxox

"Neville?" Jayce sat down next to Neville, who looked up from his book.

"Jayce"

"We ran into your Headmaster....."

"I don't have a Headmaster" Neville interrupted.

"We ran into your former Headmaster" Jayce said without missing a beat "He had just finished yelling at Madame Maxime and Minister Duvall about the induction ceremony you conducted tonight and decided to yell at us as well" Neville quirked an eyebrow.

"He yelled at you?"

"Well - not really" Jayce admitted "But he wanted to know who The Angels are" Neville blinked.

"He asked you who The Angels are?" He said calmly.

"He found it surprising that out of a school of nearly four hundred students, thirty or so staff, an entire Parliament of government officials and several dozen rescued not one of us knows who The Angels are" Jayce shrugged "Or that given their..... notoriety no one has tried to find out"

"And what did you tell him?"

"That The Angels are doing a lot of good, and keeping their secret doesn't seem too much to ask" Jayce shrugged "I think you can expect a visit from him in the near future - The Minister, The Headmistress and we all told him that the only way he can talk to The Angels is to talk to you first"

"Swell" Neville sighed, then leaned back and closed his eyes "I had so hoped my _talks_ with Albus Dumbledore were in the past" Jayce stared at him for a moment.

"You must have known this was coming - the moment you rescued him from Azkaban" He said.

"I was, but Harry always called me the eternal optimist" Neville replied with a laugh. Jayce smiled.

"You rarely talk about him, but you miss him?"

"I do" Neville nodded, but then his face darkened "But if you'll forgive me - I'd rather not....."

"Of course" Jayce nodded "So - Madame Trigair's potions homework. How are you doing with that?"

xoxox

Two days later, Neville walked into his charms class to find Albus waiting for him.

"Mister Longbottom - I believe we need to talk" Neville came to a halt, then folded his arms behind his back.

"After class, Mister Dumbledore" He replied.

"Now, Neville"

"AFTER. CLASS" Neville repeated as a few students walked in behind him "Or shall I ask Madame Maxime her opinion?" Albus stared back at him, but Neville held his gaze.

"Very well" Albus said "I will return in an hour" He swept past Neville without a word, scatting the students who were entering. Neville gave a faint smile, then walked to his seat.

"Tip your waiters, folks - we're here all week"

xoxox

An hour later, Neville rose to his feet and packed away his books and notepad - the use of notepad and pens, rather than parchment at quill was definitely something he appreciated following his arrival at the school - then he turned and sat down on his desk.

"You aren't coming?" Jayce asked.

"I have an appointment" Neville rolled his eyes. He looked past Jayce's shoulder and saw Albus stood in the doorway "You should go - I suspect he doesn't want to talk to you" Jayce looked over his shoulder, then turned back.

"You don't want me to stay?" He offered "I could provide a neutral perspective"

"While I appreciate the offer, I am not sure that would be all that useful at the moment" Neville rose to his feet "So thank you, but I believe I will do fine" Jayce smiled.

"Then I will talk to you later" He picked up his bag, then turned and walked out of the room, not giving Albus a glance. The former headmaster walked into the classroom and up to the front, then sat down on the teacher's desk. Neville gave a soft smile, then walked round to sit on the front of his desk.

"Albus" He gave a polite nod "I have an hour until my next class, however I do have to eat at some point. So if you could make this quick, I would be grateful"

"Very well, Mister Longbottom....."

"You can call me Neville - I don't mind" Neville folded his arms.

"Excuse me?" 

"I realise it is a long ingrained habit, Albus, but you can call me Neville" He stared at him "Unless you feel it will make you uncomfortable?" Albus gazed at him, then smiled.

"If that's what you want, Neville, it makes no difference to me" He said "I wanted to talk to you about The Angels of Arven"

"Have you decided whether you are going to join up or retire?" Neville asked.

"That is part of what I wanted to discuss" Albus said "The oath that you are asking us to swear - it would require us to be subordinate to strangers"

"Yes" Neville nodded.

"To people we've never met"

"That's generally what most people understand by the word strangers" Neville said "Although you have met them - they were part of the group that extracted you from Azkaban"

"But we know nothing about them" Albus repeated.

"You know they have saved over a dozen Hogwarts' students and their families" Neville said calmly "And that they have the trust of both Madame Maxime and Minister Duvall, as well as The Parliament of Mages. All of which suggest that they are trustworthy and on the side of light"

"Then why are they so reluctant to be seen in public?" Albus asked.

"They have family. They have friends" Neville smiled "If The Ministry - if The Emperor - found out who they really are, then those around them would be at serious risk" His smile faded "No one is going to increase their risk - not if we can help it" Albus opened his mouth, but Neville raised his hand.

"We aren't going to tell you their names, because we don't know them - no one does. So you can ask all you want - it will do you no good" He said "Are you going to join our organisation, Albus, or not?"

"What do you see my role being, if I were to join?" Albus asked.

"The same as everyone else" Neville replied "Using all your experience and skills to help us plan extractions, and - occasionally - joining either the extraction or distraction teams on missions back to Britain when we have people to rescue"

"What is the structure of the group?"

"The Angels are in charge - Percy, Blake and Kenny" Neville said "I have the honour of serving as part of The Council. We four are the group that make the final decision on all missions that are carried out, although I almost always defer to their decision because they have a far better feel for all of this" He paused "All the other members tend to fall in to two groups - there are those who come with us when we carry out missions in Britain, and there are those who remain behind"

"Who's in which group?"

"Some of our older members feel their active days are over - they still want to help, but are more comfortable in a support role rather than in the field" Neville smiled "The rest - once they were trained - come with us and either cause distractions, or perform extractions"

"And what role do you envisage for me?"

"One more thing - whatever part someone plays, everyone is free to express their opinion during our discussions. We welcome the views of everyone" He paused "You are still a formidable dueller, Albus, and if you wish to come on the distraction raids and the extraction missions we will welcome you - but there is something you must understand"

"And what is that?"

"While we appreciate, and even welcome, suggestions and debate during our meetings, once a decision is made, it is absolute" Neville said "Further more - when we are out in the field, the authority of The Angels, or their nominated proxies is absolute" He levelled his gaze at Albus "The oath you have to swear means that you accept that authority. And if you question it, you will be in violation of it"

"And if I question it, I will lose my voice, and risk being deported back to Britain?" Albus said flatly.

"No one is going to make you swear the oath, Albus" Neville pointed out "You can return to Britain and fight the battle on your own. You can swear the other oath - to stay out of the battle. But if you join our group of your own free will then you must agree to obey the rules of our group, just like everyone else" He paused "It is up to you - no one here has the power to force you, and we wouldn't want to"

"But you would make me swear the oath if I want to help" Albus said calmly.

"It is up to you, Albus" Neville said. Albus stared at him for a moment longer, then took a deep breath.

"You keep talking about distraction and extraction" He said "What about the plan to liberate Britain? To overthrow Lord Voldemort?"

"That's not our problem" Neville said with a shrug.

"What?" Albus stared at him in disbelief.

"Everyone who has been rescued is a French citizen. Minister Duvall has made it clear we are welcome to stay here for as long as we see fit" Neville smiled "Britain has abandoned us, Headmaster - why would we ever want to go back there?" Albus stared at him for a few moments, then smiled.

"There is something you need to know, Neville" He said "Something you should have been told a long time ago - something that, I believe, will change your mind about your future in relation to magical Britain" He paused "About a month before you were born, there was a prophecy......"


	7. Britain Stands Alone

Olympe walked Antoinette down to the front gates later that evening, and they stopped before The Minister crossed the ward boundary.

"You didn't get round to asking Albus about The Founder's Heir, did you?" Antoinette asked.

"The Headmaster hasn't been around" Olympe admitted "I think he has moved his focus to Mister Longbottom"

"Hardly a surprise" Antoinette admitted.

"But I promise I will try to find out tomorrow" She paused "Now that Director Bones has her Auror force back, I suspect she is going to want to use it to try to retake Britain at some point" Antoinette stared at her.

"You do know what you're saying, Olympe?"

"That that evil bastard will be killed and will hopefully rot in hell?" Olympe asked.

"No" Antoinette shook her head "Well, yes, but you just suggested that a sovereign citizen of France is going to raise an army and launch a military invasion of another country to depose the government of said country" She paused "I realise that said government is asking to be overthrown, but still - I am pretty sure The International Confederation will have something to say about this"

"So, on the whole, you'd rather I didn't tell you about it?" She slowly drew her wand "Because I could make you forget about everything I said"

"That would be nice, but I think that on the whole I'd rather be able to lie about it and know what I'm lying about" Antoinette said "But if you do learn anything else I would suggest you keep it to yourself"

"Yes, Minister" Olympe smiled "Enjoy the rest of your evening"

"You too" Antoinette replied, then she turned and walked through the gates before turning on the spot and vanishing.

xoxox

Neville strode through the corridors, ignoring everyone he encountered, then he walked up to a woven mural of a silver haired princess. 

"The bearers cross the sea to where the people don't die" He said in a snappish voice. The princess slowly stared down at him.

"Mister Longbottom, I would appreciate it if you not address me in that tone" She said. Neville blinked, then blushed.

"My apologies, your Majesty" He gave a polite bow "I am so very sorry - I have just learned some very disturbing information, and it has got me very upset" He took a deep breath "However that is no reason to take it out on you, or to treat you with disrespect" He gave another bow "Please, forgive me"

"Always" The princess return his bow "I take it you would like to consult with your associates?"

"Yes, please" He said "With The Angels and Ron Weasley if he is available"

"I will see if they are free" She replied, then she vanished, and - as the portrait turned black he walked through it into the chamber with the round table.

He looked at the seat he usually occupied, then started pacing around the chamber instead.

xoxox

"Neville?" He looked round five minutes later and saw Ron, Blake and Kenny standing at the other portal.

"Good evening" He said "I'm sorry to summon you all..... Percy?"

"She went to bed early - she had a cold" Blake said "You were saying?"

"Yes" Neville nodded "I'm sorry to summon you all, but I spent my lunch time talking to my former Headmaster, and now I want to burn the school down" He paused "So i thought rather than doing that, I should talk to someone" He looked at them "And since I thought you four.... you three could provide me with some help, you get volunteered"

"Excellent" Blake smiled "So - should we take a seat, or would this be easier standing?"

"No - for this I think you're going to want to be sat down" He said, and they each took a seat around the table.

"So - what did Dumbledore tell you?" Ron asked.

"First he made a bit of a fuss about joining The Angels - he was reluctant to swear an oath to three people he had never met, and even more so to swear one that would require him to follow our orders without question" Neville paused "However I think he was willing to get over his reluctance and join the fight because he didn't want to be left out of it"

"You think he's going to be a problem?" Kenny asked "That if he doesn't swear the oath he will try to interfere?"

"Or that if he does he will find a way to override it?" Blake suggested.

"It's possible" Neville admitted "But that isn't our biggest problem - and it certainly isn't my biggest problem" He closed his eyes "After we moved past the problems he had with the oath, he asked about the plan to liberate Britain"

"We aren't going to liberate Britain" Blake and Kenny said in unison.

"We aren't?" Ron asked.

"No we aren't" Blake shook her head "I've never been there, neither has Percy nor Kenny"

"And Britain let me, and the rest of the rescued, down" Neville said "I fled there as the Death Eaters tried to murder me" He stared at Ron "You and Cho were about to be executed by killing curse for trying to save the lives of four first born students" He shrugged "Why would we ever want to go back?"

"Because it's our home" Ron insisted.

"This has been our home since we came here" Kenny said.

"This has been my home since I fled my last one" Neville added. Ron stared at them, then sighed and nodded.

"I suppose" He said "How many people know this?"

"I don't know" Neville shrugged "It's not something we really tell people - it's just not something we tell people" He paused "That sounded better in my head"

"Really?" Blake asked.

"Maybe not" Neville gave a short laugh "What I mean is that we don't go out of our way to tell people that we're not going to return to Britain to liberate it - it's not like it's the first line on our application form" He paused "But it's not like the first line of our application form says that we are training to return to liberate it"

"We just assumed that people would make up their own minds" Blake said "And we've made it very clear that The Angels do two things - we rescue people, and we blow stuff up to distract The Ministry from the fact we are rescuing people" She paused "We've never mentioned an invasion of Britain so we just assumed people wouldn't think we were going to do that"

"Just to warn you - it might come up" Ron smiled "Because if Dumbledore is asking about it then there are good odds he will have told other people"

"We'll keep that in mind" Kenny said. 

"There's something else you need to know" Neville interjected "About the liberation of Britain, the overthrow of The Emperor and about why some people think that The Angels might have to play a part in it" They all turned to look at him.

"Why do I get the feeling that we're not going to like this part?" Kenny said.

"Because you are smarter than you look" Blake said "But to be fair, you look like a moron" Kenny stuck his tongue out at her.

"So - what do we need to know?" He asked, looking back at Neville.

"Have either of you heard of Professor Sybill Trelawney?" Neville asked. Blake and Kenny shook their heads, but Ron sighed.

"The daft old bat who used to teach Divination at Hogwarts?" He said.

"That's her" Neville nodded "Apparently she is not as daft, old or batty as the rumours would have"

"Harry......." Ron started, then trailed off "Harry did say on the night that Sirius escaped she made a prediction - it was all very vague and fluffy but it could have been about Pettigrew and his escape"

"If that's the case then it was her fourth prediction that came true" Neville said "That one, the one where she told Lavender about her rabbit, the one where she warned Parvati to be aware of a red-headed man and one more made before most of us here were born"

"Red-headed man?" Blake asked. Neville turned to Ron.

"Do you want to tell her, or shall I?" He said with an amused grin. Ron turned slightly pink.

"I think we can leave that story until later, don't you?" He frowned.

"Oh come on - now we have to know" Blake insisted.

"How much do you know about the final year before The Emperor returned?" Ron asked, a faint smile coming over his face.

"A little" Blake replied "There was a tournament of some type?"

"The Tri-Wizard Tournament" Ron nodded "Well - a part of that was an official ball over Christmas. The Yule Ball" He paused "Harry asked Parvati, and I went with her sister, Padma"

"I take it it went badly?" Kenny asked.

"I was just realising how I felt about Hermione, and she went with Viktor Krum" Ron said with a sigh "So I treated Padma very badly" He paused "We've since made up - that involved a lot of grovelling on my part - but for the whole of the Christmas holidays and a week or so after Padma was very, very mad with her sister and yelled at her quite a lot" He blushed again "And so Parvati leaned that she should have been wary of a red-haired man" He closed his eyes as both Kenny and Blake sniggered in amusement. 

"Anyway" Neville said after a few moments "While I would love to spend the rest of the evening torturing Ron, I'm afraid there is a more serious problem" He paused "Remember I told you about a fourth prophecy? The one she made before most of us were born?" They all nodded "That's the one that's going to screw us"

"Because?"

"Because it essentially says that The Emperor can only be killed by one of two people" Neville said darkly "Either Harry James Potter or me" Blake, Kenny and Ron all stared at him.

"You're serious?" Kenny asked after a minute.

"If Dumbledore is to be believed" Neville nodded "Which I admit is questionable in and of itself"

xoxox

**(flashback)**

_"About a month before you were born, there was a prophecy"_ Albus said "A prophecy that predicted the birth of a wizard that would soon be born to defeat The Dark Lord. He would be marked by The Dark Lord, but have a power The Dark Lord knows not - and that one must die at the hands of the other, because until they do neither one can fully live their lives" Neville stared at him. 

"When was this prophecy made? He asked carefully.

"Around a month before July, Nineteen Eighty" Albus replied. Neville folded his arms. 

"Which means that the magical boy in question would be either me or Harry" Neville stood up and started pacing back and forth "A lot of us were curious why you were so obsessed with him - why you let him get away with so much" He turned to face Albus "Why you let him take part in The Tournament. Why you set up the situation at The Ministry......" He trailed off "This explains so much"

"But do you understand what it really means, my boy?" 

"I am not your boy, Albus" Neville said in a calm but surprisingly firm voice "And yes - the point was not lost on me. You think that since you let Harry die, I am going to have to fill in for him in this like you wanted me to fill in for him the last time" He shrugged "I refuse"

"You can't refuse, my..... you can't refuse Neville" Albus said, his voice darkening "It is your destiny"

"You thought it was Harry's destiny" Neville pointed out "Then you got him killed. If you were wrong then, why should I believe you are right now?"

"Because there is no one else left" Albus said firmly "The prophecy is clear - no one else can kill Lord Voldemort, and until you do neither of you will be able to live your lives"

"I seem to be living my life pretty well" Neville said with a shrug "A life that is going to last a lot longer if I don't confront The Emperor directly"

"But......"

"Albus - I am not returning to Britain, and I am not going to act as your cats-paw to fight your proxy war" He said "If you want to kill him, you'll find a way" He paused "Are we finished?"

**(end flashback)**

xoxox

"Do you think he is making it up to get The Angels to act?" Kenny asked.

"I suppose it could be possible" Neville admitted "But he was obsessed with Harry in the years leading up to his death, and if we learned he was making it up it would destroy his credibility for good"

"So you believe that he's telling the truth?" Blake asked "That you or Harry Potter are the only ones who can kill The Emperor?"

"I hate to say it, but yes" Neville sighed "And since we'd have to reanimate Harry and learn how to control his necromanted corpse in order to use it to kill The Emperor which I admit would be an interesting challenge, not to mention a fascinating end of year project and would almost certainly ensure we would finish school with top marks........" He trailed off "What was I saying?"

"That we definitely should not be experimenting with dark magic to reanimate the dead body of The Boy Who Lived" Blake said.

"Yes!" Neville nodded "That would be a bad thing, which means that - if we are to believe Albus - I am the only person who can kill The Emperor" There were a few moments of silence.

"Albus knows we've already made our position on liberating Britain clear" Kenny said "The Minister and The Headmistress both know our position as well - we aren't going to change it"

"Don't be so certain" Ron said, and they turned to face him "The former Headmaster is a master at manipulation - at convincing people that he is in the right and to see his position" He looked at Neville.

"We - the members of Hermione's Army - saw first hand what happened after Harry died" He continued "But for those of the rescued who didn't - the Aurors, The Order and so on - Dumbledore is still a beacon of light"

"And if he tells them that the oath they swore to The Angels is preventing them from liberating Britain - from saving their country - what do you think they will do?" Kenny asked "Especially if he tells them that one of them is the only person who can kill The Dark Lord"

"The Aurors swore an oath, as did The Ministry staff" Neville said "If they wish to revoke their oath, I have no problem with them doing that - but they will no longer have our protection or our assistance" He shrugged "And I owe you three my life, so there is nothing that will convince me to break my promise to follow you three until you release me from it"

"And if Dumbledore convinces them?" Ron asked, then looked at Blake and Kenny as they both burst in to laughter. 

"We are French citizens. We are trained in occlumency and are very good at protecting our minds" Kenny said after he'd calmed down "We are also on very good terms with Minister Duvall, The Parliament of Mages and The Headmistress"

"Albus Dumbledore has no leverage to use against us, and we have no reason to give in to him" Blake continued calmly, then she looked at Neville.

"Neville - you have helped us more than you can possibly imagine. If it comes to a fight, we won't let anyone take you - or anyone else who requires our protection" Neville returned her smile.

"And if Albus unites the rescued - or some of them - against us?" He asked. Her smiled turned slightly wicked.

"Then I guess we're going to have some fun"

xoxox

Two nights later, Neville walked into the grand hall, and over to where The Order members were sat.

"Might I talk to you for a few minutes?" He said.

"Of course, Mister Longbottom" Minerva said "Would you like to sit down?"

"No, thank you" He took his head "I won't be long" He paused "From what we understand, we aren't going to be doing a lot for the next week or so - there'll be no need for distractions or extractions" He smiled "Which is kind of good timing since a few of the rescued have exams and at least two of us have quidditch matches to play"

"You're playing in a quidditch match?" Rolanda asked "From what I remember you were never much one for riding on a broom at all, let alone riding one competatively"

"And I haven't got any better" Neville admitted "But a few of the rescued formed a team, and they play the odd friendly match" He paused "However that's not entirely the point of what I wanted to say"

"And what is?" Albus asked.

"We are taking a week off - no distractions, extractions or training. A time for some rest and relaxation" He paused "And a time for everyone who hasn't sworn an oath to make up their mind"

"Excuse me?" Minerva said.

"Kenny, Blake, Percy and I will call a meeting this time next week, and we will expect you to either swear to retire from the field, or swear to join up with our organisation" He paused "However if you don't wish to pick either of those options, I am willing to offer you a third one"

"And what would that be, Mister Longbottom?" Pomona asked.

"We have someone who is experience in memory charms remove all knowledge of The Angels from your mind" He said "You will remember being rescued by us, but you won't know anything about the command structure or about who amongst the rescued has been helping them" He paused "You will be then sent to Paris, where you can do as you see fit - if you want to take the fight back to Britain, you can. If you want to run and hide, you can do that as well"

"What gives you the right to wipe our memories?" Albus asked.

"What gives you the right to come here and put our lives at risk?" Neville replied "You all have a week to make your choice. If you haven't decided in a week's time, we will assume that you have picked the third option, and we will act accordingly" Before anyone could respond, he turned and walked off.

xoxox

"How dare he? HOW DARE HE?" Albus stalked around his room, then turned to face Minerva "That little brat dares to threaten me? Does he know who he's dealing with?"

"Do you know with whom you are dealing, Albus?" Minerva asked "He has been here less than two years and he has made friends with most of the students, made contacts within The Parliament - even The Minister herself" She pause "He has friends at every level of government - all that within two years"

"So what are you suggesting? That I swear an oath to obey him - him and three people I've never met?"

"Do you think you can stay out of this fight? To leave it to the children?" 

"They aren't ready - they will need help"

"And if you are obliviated and dropped off in Paris, will that provide them with the help they need?" She demanded.

"Of course not" He shook his head.

"Then you know what you have to do" She stared at him "If you truly want to end the fight - if you truly want to bring down The Dark Lord and make Britain safe again - you know what you have to do" She paused "I just wonder if you can put aside your pride long enough to do it?"

xoxox

One week later, Neville, Blake, Percy and Kenny walked into one of the classrooms to find Albus, Minerva, Pomona as well as a number of Aurors and former Ministry staff waiting for them. Much to their surprise, they also found Filius Flitwick stood next to Minerva, hands behind his back.

"Professor Flitwick?" Neville asked in surprise "What......"

"Mister Longbottom" Filius gave a polite nod "Forgive me for surprising you, but both Minerva and Rubeus told me what was going on tonight, and I was wondering if I might be permitted to take part?"

"I was more curious as to how you are here, not why" Neville admitted.

"Oh" Filius smiled "Ever since Voldemort took direct control of the school it has been going downhill, and I have been looking for a way out" He paused "However they have kept a very tight leash on both students and teachers alike, so escaping from the school has proved somewhat complicated"

"And yet you are here" Blake said.

"Early this morning, there was a fire in one of the greenhouses" Filius said with a slightly wicked smile "It took the staff an hour or so to put it out, and while they were distracted I was able to escape from the school and make my way here" He paused "I am afraid, Mister Longbottom, that the greenhouse in question, as well as two or three others, were completely destroyed - I know how much work you put into them before you left"

"I'm sorry we didn't come for you sooner, Professor" Percy said quietly "I'm afraid we didn't know you wanted to leave - if we were told you wanted to escape from Hogwarts, we would have come to get you sooner"

"Think nothing of it, my girl" Filius said, waving her objections away "My situation only became..... problematic quite recently, and there were far more people in far worse situations than I" He paused "But I believe we are here for another purpose"

"Indeed" Neville nodded "And in honour of your arrival, we will start with you. Do you wish to join?"

"I do" Filius nodded.

"Then repeat after me......" Neville started, but before he could continue, Filius raised his wand.

"I swear that from this moment on I will be a member of The Angels. I will take part in the planning, training and execution of missions for distraction, extraction or destruction. I swear that after the discussions, debates and deliberations are done, I promise to obey the commands and instructions of The Angels and their nominated proxies both in the field and at home, under any all circumstances that these commands and instructions are given. I swear this knowing the punishments I will be subject to should I break this oath - the loss of my voice and my liberty and, should my violations persist, my citizenship. I do so swear this of my own free will" Neville stared at him with a slight look of awe.

"I am a quick study, Mister Longbottom" Filius said.

"In which case, welcome to The Angels" Neville smiled, then he turned to the rest.

"Everyone who wishes to retire from the field, please stand on the right" He said "Everyone who wishes to join The Angels, please stand on the left" He paused "Everyone who wants to take option three, please stand behind us" He watched with a growing smile as everyone walked over to stand on the left him.

"In that case, please repeat after me......"

xoxox

Two nights later, Neville felt himself being shaken awake in the middle of the night. He blinked a few times, then looked up into the face of Blake.

"This is either the most surprising late night assignation of my life, or something truly horrible has happened" He said. Blake smiled.

"Which one do you think is more likely?" She asked.

"What's happened?" He asked.

"The Angel came to see me and Percy - we need to go to Britain, now" Neville got out of bed "Dance into the fire, five minutes" She turned and walked out of the dorm.

xoxox

Six minutes later, he walked through the portrait of the burning city and into the chamber of the round table.

There he found Percy, Blake, Kenny, Cho and Hannah waiting for him.

"Good.... morning" He said "So why are we here?"

"We have to go to Britain, and we have to do it in the next twenty minutes" Percy said "There is no time for a distraction mission - and the extraction plan is very limited - but if we don't go now, it will be very bad"

"Can I ask why?" Neville asked.

"We have information that we need to rescue someone very near and dear to us" Blake said.

"I thought you didn't know anyone in Britain" Neville looked at her curiously.

"We've never met them" Kenny said "But they mean as much to us as you do and they are about to be killed by The Emperor" He paused "I know this isn't our usual plan, and if you want to sit this out we will go with out you....."

"We're in" Cho and Hannah said.

"Me too" Neville added.

"Okay" Blake smiled "We're going to the east end of London - Newbury Street" He handed each of them a leather bag with a portkey in, and a leather pouch with half a dozen black cubes in. 

"Everyone pick up a portkey from the table, and we go on zero" She said "Oh - if there are any Aurors, Death Eaters or special forces you kill them on sight. Our target is dressed in blue - do not kill them under any circumstances" They each picked up a portkey from the table.

"Three. Two. One. GRAIL"

xoxox

They all reappeared in a plain looking street.

"Neville, Cho - stay outside. Watch the street" Blake said "Hannah, come with us" Without waiting for a response, the three Angels swept inside, Hannah alongside them. Neville and Cho took positions in the street, watching each end.

xoxox

Blake eased the door open, then peered round the door, then she gestured to the three behind her to follow her in.

"Hannah - stay on the door. Kill anyone who comes in, unless it's Neville or Cho" Blake said. Percy - bottom of the stairs"

"Boss" They both nodded. Blake looked at Kenny, then they both headed upstairs and along the landing.

Before they reached the end, they saw two swirls of apprarition.

xoxox

"Is that....." Neville raised his wand, and Cho turned.

"I think so, yes" She nodded, raising hers as well.

xoxox

Hannah tensed as she heard a series of apparation pops behind her. She and Percy both turned as they heard footsteps coming towards them.

xoxox

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Neville and Cho sent a stream of killing curses down the street, killing the four Aurors that had been coming towards them.

xoxox

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The five Aurors that swarmed the stairs fell as Percy and Hannah blasted them off their feet and into oblivion.

xoxox

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The two Aurors that appeared on the landing died before they had realised they were under attack.

"We should get a move on" Blake said "Sounds like we're just in time" She strode along the landing and slowly pushed the bedroom door open.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

She dropped to the floor as the killing curse flew over her head.

"It's me" She said calmly, getting to her feet again.

"Oh god - sorry" A male voice came back "But I heard the killing curses and thought they were coming in here"

"That was just your associates coming to ensure you wouldn't be leaving their company" She replied "But since we would miss you if were to die, we thought we'd escort you out" She paused "Have you got your wand?"

"What do you think I just tried to kill you with? A rubber chicken?"

"Good point" She paused "Come with me - we'll cover you"

"Yes boss" He walked out of the bedroom, then fell into step between Blake and Kenny. They walked down the landing, Blake looking over her shoulder, and then started down the stairs.

xoxox

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"This is getting ridiculous"

xoxox

"You?" Hannah asked in surprise.

"Him" Kenny nodded "Once we get outside the house, we can use the portkeys"

"We can't use them now?" Hannah asked.

"The house is protected against all forms of enchantments" Blake replied "Including ours"

"How....." Hannah started, but Kenny cut her off.

"We'll explain everything when we get home - I promise. For now we have to go" As he finished speaking there were four pops behind them, and they all span round, drawing their wands.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The four Death Eaters fell dead.

"Let's go! NOW!" Blake shouted "Before they decide to send someone we can't deal with"

xoxox

Neville and Cho looked around as the front door opened, and Hannah and Percy walked out, followed by Blake, Kenny and Percival Weasley.

"What....."

"Portkeys - now!" Kenny shouted, and almost without thinking about it, Neville and Cho took out their portkeys.

"RIVENDELL"  
"RIVENDELL"

As they vanished, Blake handed Percival a portkey. 

"RIVENDELL" He said, and vanished in a swirl of smoke.

Kenny and Hannah both took out portkeys.

"RIVENDELL"  
"RIVENDELL"

Finally Blake reached out and took Percy's hand, and - just as there were a dozen swirls of black smoke on either side of them - she squeezed the portkey in her hand.

"RIVENDELL" She shouted, and they both vanished.

xoxox

They reappeared in the chamber to find Percival sitting down at the table, while Neville, Hannah and Cho were watching him sceptically and Kenny was leaning against the wall.

"So I suppose we owe you an explanation" Blake said.

"Maybe a little one" Hannah said "Because the last we heard, Percival Weasley was a collaborator who was working with The Emperor's government to sell first born witches and wizards down the river" She paused, then glanced at Percival "No offence"

"None taken, Miss Abbott" Percival replied "I realise that, from all appearances, that is exactly what I have been doing" He paused "However every time I signed an imprisonment order, or an execution order, or any other kind of order, I did my best to see that it was forwarded to The Angel, so that they could do their best to extract the target of the order before it was carried out" He sighed, then hung his head "It didn't always work out, and I truly regret the people I was unable to save"

"We know" Percy walked over to him, and rested her hand on his shoulder "And no one blames you for their deaths"

"No one except me" Percival replied, looking up at her. He took her hand, then smiled "But this is a conversation we've had a dozen times before, and no doubt we will have a dozen times again before the war is over - at which point I just want to fade into the shadows of history and live out my life in peace and quiet, somewhere nice and secluded"

"That sounds nice" Kenny said "So why did you call for us tonight?"

"My files were disturbed at work" Percival replied "My superior - a woman named Dolores Umbridge....."

"We've met her" Neville, Cho and Hannah all said in unison.

"...... went through my files without me present" He continued "She'd never done that before" He paused "And some of them were missing"

"And that worried you?" Cho asked.

"That and the five undercover agents following me home" Percival said with a wry smile "They were also a big hint that my bosses had stopped trusting me"

"Also a good hint" Hannah admitted.

"My biggest concern is what we are going to do now?" Percival turned to look at the three Angels "as far as I am aware, you don't have any other moles in the government, right?"

"Sadly not" Blake shook her head.

"Which means that you aren't going to know about any future execution or imprisonment orders?" Percival asked.

"Also unlikely" Kenny nodded.

"I'm sorry" Percival sighed, but Percy dropped to her knees in front of him.

"You've saved the lives of everyone here, Percival. We may have put our selves out on the front line, but that's nothing compared to the danger you've been in and the risks you've been taking" She reached out and hugged him "When the story of this war is written, you are going to get top billing as the hero of the light, and if anyone disagrees then they are going to have to come through us" Percival stared at her for a moment, then smiled.

"You always were a drama queen" He said with a smile "Glad to see you haven't changed all that much" He turned to face the other two "I realise that I won't be able to help in the way I did before, but I am happy to help in whatever way you want me to" He paused "I can take over running the missions from here - allow Neville to go out into the field more?"

"That would be helpful" Neville nodded "But you don't want to be on the missions yourself?"

"I'm afraid I'm not made for fighting" Percival admitted "I am much better behind a desk"

"A born administrator" Blake smiled "But now, given some of us have classes in a few hours, and at least one of us just survived an attack by a Ministry hit squad, I think there's the chance we should all be getting back to our rooms and to bed" She looked at Percival "There are guest rooms - I can show you where they are" He nodded.

"We'll introduce Percival to the school tomorrow, and reintroduce him to his family" Percy said "But now - we should all get some sleep" Percival stood up, and they all started to walk towards the tapestry.

"And Percival?" Kenny said. Percival turned to look at him "Welcome to Beauxbatons"

"Thank you Harry" Percival replied. There was a long moment of silence, then - one by one - Neville, Cho and Hannah all turned to stare at Kenny, who was gazing at Percival with an amused smile on his face.

"I suppose I should tell you that no one here knows who I am, and that we've kept my identity secret from the entire school" He said, still with a slightly amused grin.

"I know" Percival closed his eyes "I just rarely refer to you by your codenames and......" He trailed off and shrugged "I'm sorry - I'm so, so sorry" He opened his eyes and looked at them "If you want to put me under a spell....."

"Since you just used 'codenames' plural" Blake said "I'm starting to think it might be a good idea" She paused "No offence"

"None taken" Percival blushed, then raised his wand.

"I swear that from this moment on, I will only refer to The Angels by their codenames in council, and their student names in school" He said "As I speak this spell its magic will enforce itself upon me" The end of his wand flashed. He looked at them.

"From now on I will address you as Kenny, Percy and Blake, and not Kenny, Percy and Blake" He said, then smiled "Okay - that seems to be working" He paused "However there is still the fallout from my...... blunder to deal with" He looked over at Hannah, Cho and Neville who were still staring at The Angels.

"Harry?" Neville asked, staring at Kenny.

"Hermione?" Cho asked, looking at Percy.

"Luna?" Hannah asked, looking at Blake.

"Actually I'm Hermione, and this is my most beloved" Blake said, then glanced at Percy "You would have thought the 'drama queen' thing would have given it away"

"I do have a flair for the dramatic, sweetie" Percy replied with a smile.

"Harry?" Neville asked again. Kenny looked at him, then glanced at the other two Angels. They both nodded, then - in unison - they waved their hands, cancelling their glamours and revealing Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter.

"So" Harry said "I suppose I owe you an explanation"


	8. Trials and Tribulations

**(June 1995)**

Harry walked through the children's playground on the edge of Wisteria Lane, only half concentrating on where he was going.

The other half of his mind was trapped in the nightmare of a month ago - watching the black, shadowy figure rise of the cauldron, feeling Wormtail carve a gash in his arm, screaming under the cruciatus curse as Voldemort, watching the killing curse fly towards.....

He shook his head, snapping out of his memory before he saw Cedric die again. He had had enough of seeing that in his dreams. 

He turned and walked over to the swings, but turned when he heard a voice behind him.

"Hey sweetie" He smiled as Hermione walked towards him, and pulled him into a hug "So, mi amore, how's your day going?" 

"It's been better" Harry admitted as they both walked over and sat down on the swings "I felt like I haven't had a good night's sleep in a month - every time I close my eyes I see him, and whenever I hear a noise, I have to stop myself drawing my wand and blasting whatever caused it" Hermione gazed at him for a moment.

"Makes me glad I asked my parents to drop me off instead of getting a portkey here" She said. Harry stared at her, then gave a snort of amusement.

"You always know what to say, Miss Granger" He said with another laugh "So - how are you doing?"

"Luna's been out of the country for two weeks" Hermione sighed "I haven't had snuggles for sixteen days" Harry stared at her.

"No one has suffered like you have suffered" He said in a deadpan voice.

"I know, right" She threw her hands up in the air, then began to push herself back and forth on the swing while Harry smiled.

"Just so long as your priorities are in order" He said "When does she come home?"

"Three more days" Hermione said "Seventy one hours and fifty two minutes"

"No seconds?" Harry quirked an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes at him.

"I've sometimes found that I can be annoying when I am that precise" She said.

"You? Annoying?" He stared at her innocently "Surely not"

"Thrrrp!" She stuck her tongue out at him and blew a raspberry before starting to swing back and forth again. 

"So - in the absence of snuggles, how have you been filling your days?" He asked, starting to push himself as well. 

"I finished my homework, did some extra reading, played chess with my mum until she got annoyed with me for winning three games in a row" She paused "The usual" She looked at him "You?"

"Hiding from Vernon, hiding from Dudley, hiding from Petunia" He looked around "I've spent a lot of time in the park and wandering around the neighbourhood" He sighed "But hey - Aunt P always wants me to get more fresh air and exercise so.... there's that" Hermione put her feet down and brought herself to a halt.

"Tell me, really" She said "How are you?" Harry looked at her.

"What do you want me to say, love?" He asked "That sometimes I wake up with my fist jammed in my mouth to stop myself screaming? That sometimes I see the sun set and rise and set and rise without sleeping because I am afraid to close my eyes? That staying up all night with the one you love is romantic but staying up all night because all you can see is Cedric dying and Voldemort rising is horrific" He closed his eyes "All in all, it's not been my best holiday" She stared at him for a moment, then stood up, walked in front of him, dropped to her knees and pulled him into a hug.

"If I could take this all away, sweetie, you know I would" She said.

"You could obliviate me" He suggested, resting his head on her shoulder.

"I could try" She whispered "But since I don't know how to cast the spell, I could completely wipe your mind and you wouldn't even remember your own name" Harry remained silent for a moment.

"Would I still know how to fly?" He asked, making her laugh. She held him for a moment longer, then straightened up.

"So - what do you want to do now?" She asked "Because it's been a while since I've been on a roundabout, and I have always wondered if I could spin someone fast enough to make them throw up" Harry stared at her.

"While that does sound fun, how about we just go for a walk?" He suggested.

"But being dizzy - could be fun" She said in a wheedling manner.

"You really are missing Luna, aren't you?" He asked.

"Oh you have no idea" She sighed "Come on then, Boring McGee" She slipped her hand into his and they walked off across the grass.

xoxox

Ten minutes later, they walked into The Memorial Park, and Hermione sat down on the grass, patting the space beside her. Harry sat down a moment later, looking at her curiously.

"Lie back" She said "Lie back and close your eyes" 

"Okay" He nodded, then he lay down on the grass, staring up at the sky and slowly closed his eyes.

"I want you to picture a castle on a cloud" She said, then - when he opened his mouth - she put her finger against his lips "It doesn't matter what it looks like. Just any castle - big or small, fancy or plain" He gave a nod.

"Stand in front of the castle, and walk up to it, through the gates and into it" She said in a calming voice "The keep stands in front of you, and you open the door and walk inside. There are two staircases - one leads down to the basement, the other leads up to the viewing platform" She laid down beside him and closed her eyes "Which way do you wish to go?"

"The viewing platform" Harry replied without opening his eyes.

"You walk up the stairs, and out into the open air. You can see for miles and all you can see are clouds" She paused "Just stare into the clouds and let all your worries go" 

"Well isn't this sweet?" A sneering voice cut across them.

"Clouds and a giant pain in the arse" Harry said with a sigh, then he and Hermione both opened their eyes and sat up "Good afternoon Dudley" He looked at his cousin, then glanced at the three boys behind him "Piers, Charles, Mark"

"So who's this, cuz?" Dudley asked, still sneering "Your girlfriend?"

"This is Hermione, and you will show her respect" Harry said, his voice tightening "Because she is worth more than all of you put together" He slowly got to his feet, then held out his hand to Hermione and helped her get up.

"Thank you, sweetie" She said, planting a kiss on his cheek while the four boys facing them all made "wooooo" noises.

"So, Big D - how goes the day?" Harry asked "Found any hapless kids to beat up?"

"Not until now" Piers said "Although......." He looked Hermione up and down "..... maybe we can find something else to do"

"Sorry, Piers, but you are definitely not Hermione's type" Harry said.

"And you are?" Mark laughed.

"I would consider it an honour to be Hermione's boyfriend, but I'm not her type either" 

"Oh Harry - you do know how to flatter a girl" Hermione said in a simpering tone. He laughed.

"I've learned a lot since The Ball" He paused "I really should apologise to Parvati, shouldn't I?"

"Maybe" She nodded, then she turned to Dudley and his gang "So - are you going to run along and live us alone, or what?" Dudley stared back at her, but before he could reply, four loud cracks filled the air, and Harry and Hermione both suddenly tensed.

"Dudley" Harry said "You and your friends should leave. Now" 

"Why?" Charles asked "It's just starting to get fun"

"I've never credited you with an abundance of brains, Dudley, but if you want to live to see tomorrow, then you should turn and run and don't stop running until you see London" Hermione said, then she and Harry both drew their wands, making Dudley's eyes widen.

"You can't....." He said "You can't do magic - you'll get in trouble"

"Trust me" Harry's voice was calm and serious "It won't be us who causes trouble. Now - are you going to go, or......"

"They shouldn't leave, Potter" A cold, silky voice split the air "Not before you've introduced us". Harry glanced at Hermione, then he walked a few steps to the left as she took a few steps to her right.

"Dudley, Piers, Charles, Mark" He took a deep breath "I'd like to introduce you to Lucius Malfoy" Hermione's eyes flashed for a moment, then she continued to move to her right, not taking her eyes off the five masked and cloaked figures in front of them "Lucius - you are a long way from home"

"Well, when I learned that The Boy Who Lived was living so close - and almost entirely unprotected - it seemed almost rude not to introduce myself" Lucius replied "Tell me - why does Albus leave his champion out in the middle of nowhere, unfriended, unprotected and alone?"

"He isn't alone" Hermione said defiantly.

"A mudblood?" Another voice - Harry thought he recognised it from the graveyard but he couldn't be sure - said with a sneer "Do you really think you are any protection against real wizards, girl?"

"I think that if you value your lives you should leave and never come back" She replied.

"Brave words, but you are out numbered five to two" A third voice said.

"Well, we'll happily wait here if you want to get reinforcements" She said in a calm voice, and then she smirked as Dudley snorted in amusement.

"Insolent child! You will pay for your cheek!" Lucius snapped.

"This is between us, Lucius" Harry said in a placating voice "If you want me, you can have me - just let the muggles and Hermione go"

"Oh no, Potter" Lucius shook his head, a tone of gloating in his voice "If we let them go, you would have nothing to lose" He paused "And Bellatrix has felt so bored over the past few weeks - taking her some new toys to play with would definitely make her day"

"STUPEFY! REDUCTO!" Hermione cast a stunning curse at the nearest Death Eater, then a blasting curse at the grass sending up a shower of dirt and soil.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!" The Death Eater called back "CRUCI...."

"DIFFINDO!" The cutting curse made him duck before he could finish his curse, and Harry and Hermione started backing up, while Dudley and his friends tried to scatter.

"CRUCIO!"  
"CRUCIO!"

"Dudley!" Harry yelled as he watched both Dudley and Piers collapse to the floor "REDUCTO!"

"REDUCTO!" Hermione echoed, and the two Death Eaters casting the cruciatus curses were blown backwards off their feet, falling to the grass a few feet away.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" A killing curse flew over Hermione's head, and Harry dragged her to the ground.

"We need to get them out of here" He gestured to Piers and Dudley, who were both cowering on the ground. Charles and Mark had fled - they were just visible in the distance.

"Can you cover me?" She asked "I will see if I can levitate them......" She trailed off in surprise as the Death Eaters apparated away one by one - including the two they had knocked over "What the hell?"

"FREEZE!" Half a dozen voices shouted at them.

"Oh" She said "The cavalry" She looked around as six red robed Aurors swept across the park to surround them.

"DROP YOUR WANDS!" The first Auror said.

"You've got to help them" She replied without lowering her wand "Two muggles - they've been exposed to the cruciatus curse" The Auror gazed her.

"How did that...."

"We'll tell you everything" She snapped "Just help them - give them some post cruciatus curse potion and help them!" The Auror looked at her colleague.

"See to those two" He ordered, and Hermione watched as one of the other red robed figures walked off to look at Dudley and Piers. The first Auror looked back at her.

"Now - how did this happen? And what's your name?"

"We were attacked by Death Eaters" Hermione said "Five of them" The Auror stared at her in surprise "They were lead by Lucius Malfoy, and two of them used cruciatus curses on those two"

"Lucius Malfoy cast a cruciatus curse?" The Auror asked.

"No" Hermione shook her head "It was two of the others - I don't know who they were" 

"Oh" He paused "Could you describe their faces?"

"They were wearing masks"

"So how do you know it was Lucius?"

"He was there when Voldemort returned" Harry said, speaking for the first time "And he and I have a history"

"And you are?" The Auror turned to face him, then his eyes widened "Harry Potter?"

"My fame precedes me" He looked at Hermione "Good to know this scar is useful for something"

xoxox

"Minister, Lord Voldemort has returned" Albus stared across Cornelius Fudge's desk with a dark expression "The more time we spend debating this, the more time he has to build up his forces, and strengthen his position"

"He has not returned, Albus - he hasn't!" Cornelius insisted "Show me the proof! You are just listening to stories spun by a deluded child who went through a traumatic experience" He shook his head "And I will not have a country plunged in to panic over half baked stories and fantasies"

"Cornelius - you can deny these truths all you want, but in the end......" Albus stopped as a shiny lion bounded into the office and stopped in front of Cornelius.

"Minister - there has been an attack in Little Whinging. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger claim to have been attacked by Death Eaters. Two muggles have been tortured. We are on the scene" The lion vanished in a puff of light.

"Well, Cornelius - it would appear we might have some proof after all" Albus said "Shall we?"

xoxox

Hermione and Harry were sat on the grass, watching Dudley and Piers being attended to.

"Will they be okay?" Harry asked "I've...... I've heard stories that the cruciatus curse can do permanent damage"

"It was a short burst, and they were treated pretty quickly" She paused "I bet you never thought you'd see the day you were worried about Dudley" He gave her a soft smile.

"Maybe I'm worried about Aunt Petunia is going to take this" He replied, but she merely rolled her eyes "Yeah, I know" He looked over at Dudley again "I don't like him - he is a bully, and a total bastard. He spends most of his life beating up people who are smaller than he is, and he gets a lot of joy out of doing it, and if I hadn't killed the basilisk I would gladly take him to Hogwarts and feed him to it....... what was my point again?"

"That no one deserves that" She said.

"Well - not no one" He admitted "But......" He paused, then turned to face her "I know that the world isn't just black and white - that there are shades of grey" She nodded "But there is a line - a line you can draw and on one side you put good people - you, me, Luna, Ron, Neville and so on. And on the other side you put bad people"

"Voldemort, Lucius, Draco, the other Death Eaters" She said.

"Serial killers, murderers, rapists, child abusers" He said darkly, then he looked over at Dudley "Dudley is on this side of the line, and people like that don't deserve to be tortured with magic"

"That's a good way of looking at the world" She smiled "Especially since a large part of our future is going to be tied up with fighting people on the other side of the line"

"I am nothing if not smart" He said, then he saw the expression on her face "Oh go on - you know you want to laugh" She grinned at him, then they both tensed up again, and raised their wands as half a dozen cracks filled the air.

"It's just The Minister, Mister Potter" One of the Aurors said. Harry relaxed slightly as he saw the familiar lime green shape of Cornelius Fudge coming towards them, then he sighed as he saw who was with him.

"What is Dumbledore doing here?" Hermione asked.

"I suppose we are about to find out" Harry replied, then he stood up and helped her to her feet.

"Mister Potter" Cornelius said "Miss Granger"

"Minister" Harry gave a polite nod, then he looked at Albus "Headmaster"

"Harry, Hermione" Albus said "How are you?"

"We're both okay, given the circumstances" Hermione said "Although given that Harry always told us this was supposed to be a safe place, you can imagine our surprise that five Death Eaters turned up and tried to kill us"

"Auror Jones - did you see any Death Eaters?" Cornelius asked.

"No, Minister" Jones shook his head "However the two boys were suffering from exposure to the cruciatus curse - we treated them and they'll recover " Cornelius glanced over at Dudley and Piers, then walked over to the two boys.

"Hello" He said "My name is Cornelius Fudge, and I'm an important person in the magical world" He pause "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Minister - I am not sure this is the best time to question them" The Auror who had been tending to them said "The post cruciatus potion has a powerful sedative in it, and I am not sure they are able to answer questions"

"We need answers, Auror Smith" Cornelius said firmly, then looked down at the boys "Who did this to you?" He asked "Who?" Dudley looked up at him, eyes slightly glazed.

"Harry..... Hermione..... spells....." He said, then shook his head "Harry......" Cornelius stood up.

"I want them obliviated" He said "Make sure they don't remember anything about today"

"Minister - are you sure that's wise?" Albus asked, and Cornelius turned to face him.

"His family dislikes magic, from what I understand" He said "Do you think that sending him home in this condition to tell his mother and father that he was tortured by their nephew and his girlfriend is a wise idea?" Albus gazed at him.

"I take your point, Minister, but when we catch the Death Eaters, we will need them to testify"

"What Death Eaters?" Cornelius sneered "I think it is obvious what happened here" He pointed at Harry "This boy and his girlfriend were out walking when he was approached by his cousin and his friend. And - just like two years ago - the boy lost control, but this time instead of some relatively harmless magic - like blowing up his aunt - he and his girlfriend cast cruciatus curses on them" He turned to face Harry and Hermione.

"That's not true, Minister" Hermione said "There were five Death Eaters, including Lucius Malfoy"

"Lucius Malfoy is a respected member of magical society" Cornelius said sharply.

"Lucius Malfoy was there when Voldemort returned and watched him torture me" Harry snapped "I saw his face and will remember his voice until the day I die" Cornelius sighed.

"The boy is clearly delusional, Headmaster" He said, turning to face Albus "We have two muggles tortured with an unforgivable curse, and there is only one witch and one wizard in the area. Can you give me any reason why I shouldn't arrest them right now?" Albus stared at Cornelius for a moment, then looked at the two children.

"Harry, Hermione - what happened?"

"Harry and I were talking, then Dudley and his three friends arrived" Hermione said.

"Three?" Cornelius asked.

"If you will let me finish, Minister, I will explain" She said drily, then turned back to Albus "Dudley made a few comments, then Lucius and his..... associates turned up. We told Dudley and his friends to leave - they didn't. We got into a fight with the Death Eaters - they cast the unforgivable curses, and then they apparated away just before the Aurors arrived"

"So you admit to using magic?" Cornelius asked.

"As opposed to just letting five adults kill us?" Hermione shouted "Damn right we used magic"

"Cornelius" Albus said "Perhaps we can come to an arrangement" He looked at Harry and Hermione "If you were to tell Minister Fudge the name of Dudley's friends - the two that left before the Aurors arrived - then maybe we can find a compromise in all of this" Harry and Hermione exchanged glances.

"If we tell you their names, how do we know you won't simply find them an obliviate them before someone questions them?" Hermione asked "Because so far it seems Minister Fudge is more interested in crucifying us than in finding out the truth" She paused, then looked at Cornelius "No offence"

"I think we know the truth, Miss Granger" Cornelius replied "And no matter what your protestations, or whatever stories you might spin, or however many upstanding members of society you wish to slander, the situation isn't going to change" He turned to Albus "As they are still students at Hogwarts I will give you a week to deal with this, Albus, but if you have not found the other two muggles and if you have not resolved it to my satisfaction, then I am going to have to bring The Ministry into it. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Cornelius" Albus nodded. Cornelius glared at the two children, then turned and walked away, with five Aurors following. The Auror who has been tending to Dudley and Piers walked over to Harry and Hermione, and gave them two phials of potion.

"I realise this might be hard to do, but if you could ensure they drink this in around four hours, it will do them good" He said, then he turned and walked off after the Minister.

"Headmaster - Lucius was here" Harry said.

"I am sure that is the case, Harry, but without proof I am afraid that Cornelius won't believe you" Albus replied calmly.

"Harry saw him. I saw him. Dudley, Piers and their friends saw him" Hermione pointed out "And there must be some security cameras around here that would have caught the fight on film" She stared at him "How much more proof do you require? How much more proof does The Minister require?"

"The Minister does not believe Voldemort has returned, Miss Granger, so it is unlikely he will believe that Lucius Malfoy lead a team of Death Eaters against you" Albus said calmly "However I believe I can convince him if you are willing to compromise" He paused "If you give me the names of Dudley's friends, I can find the proof you need" Hermione glanced at Harry, who gave a single nod.

"Charles Pepper and Mark Bullock" He said.

"Thank you" Albus paused "Miss Granger - you should return home, and I will come and talk to you later"

"I would rather see that Harry gets home first, sir" She replied in a cold voice.

"Very well - if you must. But please ensure you go straight home after that" He said. She turned, and slipper her hand into Harry's.

"Let's go, before he changes his mind" She said. Harry glanced at Piers and his cousin.

"What about them, sir?" He asked.

"I will ensure they get home safely, Mister Potter - they will be fine" Albus replied. Harry gazed at him a moment longer, then he and Hermione walked off down the street.

xoxox

Twenty minutes later, they in front of number 4, Privet Drive.

"Well - as days go that was less good than I planned" Hermione admitted.

"Took my mind off Voldemort for a while" Harry replied, making Hermione smile.

"So - glass half full?" She said with a laugh.

"Glass half full" He nodded "Take care, and keep in touch" He leaned over and kissed her cheek "And say hi to Luna for me"

"I will" She said "You take care as well - now they know where you live......"

"I expect Dumbledore will increase his patrols - watch me more often" He sighed "Who knew there would be a downside to nearly being killed by Death Eaters?" He squeezed her hand "I mean it - take care. I've got a bad feeling about this"

"I'll be fine" She smiled "After all - you're The Boy Who Live. I'm just the sidekick - who'd want me?"

xoxox

A week later, Harry looked up when the door to his bedroom was pushed open and Luna Lovegood walked in.

"Good afternoon, Harry" She said in a polite voice "How are you this afternoon?"

"Luna?" He stared at her in surprise "How....... what...... how......."

"Three very good questions" She replied with a smile "But if we could perhaps put your questions on hold, because I have something more important to talk about and while telling you how I got here is a very dramatic and exciting story - and the car chase in the middle is one of the most amazing you will ever hear described - I am afraid that we have to act very quickly otherwise I think that Hermione will be dead within two weeks" Harry had been listening to her with a slight smile on his face, but the sudden change of subject made him sit up straight.

"Pardon me?" He stared at her in surprise "What did you just say?" Luna blinked.

"Three very good questions, but if we could perhaps put your questions on hold, because I have something more important to talk about and while telling you how I got here is a very dramatic...." She trailed off as she realised Harry had raised his hand.

"Perhaps you could just repeat the part at the end? The part about Hermione being dead in two weeks?"

"Oh - sorry" Luna looked apologetic "You should have been more specific"

"Luna - are you feeling alright?" He asked "Would you like to sit down?"

"I think I probably should" She admitted, then walked over and sat down next to him on the bed "I'm sorry - I am feeling a little off colour today. The news about my paramour has left me a little discombobulated and all catawumpus" She closed her eyes, then flumped back on the bed "I will try to get my brain tidied up so I can explain it in a straight line, rather than jumping all over the place like a cat on an electrified floor" Harry leaned back and laid flat next to her, then slipped his arm under her. She rolled over and rested her head against him, then sighed as he stroked her hair.

"Thank you" She said "That helps" She let out a quiet sigh, then took a deep breath.

"Daddy and I arrived home two days ago. I sent an owl to J, but there was no response" She paused, but didn't open her eyes "I knew how much she would have been missing me, so I convinced Daddy to let me go and visit her"

"She was missing you" Harry said quietly "She wanted to put me on a roundabout and spin me faster and faster until I threw up" Luna laughed, but Harry could see it didn't reach her eyes.

"That sounds like my girl" She said "We went to her house to find her parents besides themselves - Hermione was gone. Arrested by The Ministry for torturing a boy named Dudley and a boy named Piers. She had been taken the day before and they didn't know where she was or if she was coming back"

"But......"

"I'm not finished, Harry" She said softly.

"Sorry" He apologised.

"I understand - you're brain is a little discombobulated and catawumpus too" She said, kissing his cheek "Where was I?"

"Hermione's house"

"Yes, thank you" She nodded, and he wriggled at the feeling of her hair tickling his ear "Edward and Rosalie don't know when she is coming back or where she is. They know that she has been charged with two uses of an unforgivable curse, with multiple counts of underage magic outside of school and with using magic in front of three muggles" She paused "They also know that these sentences carry life imprisonment in Azkaban" Harry felt her shiver.

"However there is something worse" She said.

"Something worse than Hermione being locked up in Azkaban for the rest of her life?" He asked sceptically.

"Oh yes" She nodded, then she opened her eyes, pushed herself up on to one elbow and looked down at him "Hermione was arrested by The Ministry, but she wasn't taken away by the Aurors, or The Minister" She gazed at him, and he stared back at her for a moment, until he realised what she was telling him.

"No......." He said, shaking his head "You must have misunderstood"

"Do I look like the type of person who misunderstands things?" She asked calmly. 

"Hermione was taken away by Dumbledore?" He stared at her as she gave a single nod "Why? How? Why?"

"Another three good questions" She said without a smile "And I believe I have an answer, although you won't believe how I have it"

"Are you sure? Because right now I think I would believe anything you told me" She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"As tempting as that would be to test, I think there are more urgent things we need to discuss first" She sat up then got off the bed "I talked to your Aunt, and she said that she doesn't mind if you go out for the next hour or so, so would you like to come with me to visit a friend of mine?" Harry stared at her in surprise.

"I am not sure my minders will let me leave" He said with a sigh "And you spoke to my Aunt?"

"She is really quite a nice woman when you get to know her" Luna said in a conversational tone, then - when Harry looked at her sceptically - Luna sighed "No. She isn't. I try to find the best in everyone, but Petunia is a truly horrible human being, and the best I can say about her is that she isn't a Death Eater"

"I think if the Death Eaters had a muggle auxilliary she would join up in a moment" Harry said.

"Then let's be grateful for small mercies" Luna replied, then she held out her hand "Shall we?"

"You were serious?" He asked.

"When am I ever not?" She looked down at him.

"Shall I answer that, or just laugh?" He asked, then he stood up and held out his hand "My warders won't notice I'm gone?"

"Unless they decide to come in to talk to you, or Petunia or Vernon go out to talk to them" She said with a shrug "We'll be back before they know it" She put her arms around him "Do you trust me?"

"Life and soul, my dear" He whispered.

"Then lets go" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small round disc "You're going to want to close your eyes"

"I am?"

"You are" He felt her smile - her cheeks pushed against his - then she whispered "Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow" and the world twisted around him. 

xoxox

A few seconds later, the world stopped spinning and he found himself on solid ground again. He blinked, then ran off into the corner of the room he found himself up and threw up.

Steadying himself against the wall, he closed his eyes for a moment.

"Evanesco" He heard a male voice cast the vanishing spell, and saw the mess he had made disappear. Turning, he straightened up to find himself facing Luna and two men, all three of whom were smiling sympathetically.

"She did try to warn you, Harry" Percival Weasley said. 

"I know, and I should learn to listen to her" Harry admitted "It's good to see you again, Percy"

"He prefers Percival" Luna said calmly "And may I introduce my father, Xenophillius Lovegood"

"Mister Lovegood" Harry gave a polite nod.

"Call me Xeno" Luna's father replied, then he looked at Percival and Luna "We've brought you here because we're worried about what's going on, and if we're going to get Hermione out of this we're going to need your help"

"I owe her my life several times over" Harry said at once "What do you need?"

"We're not entirely sure yet" Percival said "But there is something bigger going on - something strange"

"Really?" Harry rolled his eyes "Hermione's locked up and facing execution and you think there's something strange going on?"

"Harry" Luna said in a soft tone, and Harry blushed.

"Sorry" He said, then walked over and pulled her into a hug "I know how hard this is for you, and I am going to do anything to help you"

"I know" She said, and kissed his cheek "But you should listen to Percival now"

"Yes, dear" He nodded, then turned back to Percival "Sorry - do continue"

"Yes, dear" Percival said, making Harry smirk "As I was saying - there's something going on. The Minister is refusing to acknowledge the return of Lord Voldemort, and up until last week he was focused on you and Dumbledore - smearing you in The Prophet, attacking Dumbledore, calling you both deluded"

"The Quibbler has stayed out of this" Xeno said "But most of the magical world has come to think of you as an attention seeking nutcase who maybe even killed Cedric" He paused "No offence"

"None taken"

"But in the last week or so, The Minister has become very conciliatory" Luna explained "He hasn't come round to admitting that Voldemort is back, but he stopped directing his wrath at you and at Dumbledore" She paused "He is now painting you as an innocent victim of Barty Crouch Junior - the deluded former Death Eater and his equally deluded father - and Dumbledore as the overly caring Headmaster who was just trying to protect you"

"And people are buying that?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Skeeter is very convincing" Xeno said darkly "And people are, as a rule, very stupid" He shrugged "Whatever the reason, the Minister and the Headmaster have come to some kind of detente and are singing from the same song sheet"

"So where does Hermione come in?" Harry frowned, then he hugged Luna tighter when he felt her tense up.

"There were a dozen or so Aurors who witnessed the attack, and know that Dudley and Piers were tortured using an unforgivable curse" Percival said "If it had just been one or two, they could have been obliviated, but even The Minister of Magic couldn't obliviate an entire Auror Squad, let alone three" He paused "So the story that two muggles had been attacked near Harry Potter got out, and he had to find a way to deal with it"

"And he couldn't let the story be they were attacked by Death Eaters - people would ask who sent the Death Eaters, why there are Death Eaters attacking people and if The Dark Lord was back" Luna said "So he had to make up another explanation" Harry stared at her.

"Hermione?" He said.

"Everyone at Hogwarts knows you hate your cousin" Xeno pointed out "And that after The Tournament you've been a little...... snappy"

"So the story is you and Hermione were out in the park, Dudley and his gang started bullying you and you attacked them. They fought back and Hermione cruciated two of them" Percival said "It's a story everyone would believe"

"No one would believe it" Harry shook his head "At least not our friends"

"Are you sure?" Percival looked at him intently "My mother turned against Hermione just because Rita told her to. The school has swung from thinking you are a saviour to a nutjob and back again" He gave Harry a wry smile "The magical world is ready to believe whatever they're told and right now they're being told Hermione is public enemy number one"

"He's not wrong" Luna said, resting her head on Harry's shoulder. He leaned his head against hers, then looked at the two men.

"What about Dudley's gang? Can't they tell anyone what happened?"

"Dumbledore had them obliviated" Percival said "He said obliviating Dudley would ensure your aunt and uncle wouldn't get upset, and obliviating the other three would be required to preserve the Statute of Secrecy" He paused "There's nothing to suggest that they were questioned before their minds were wiped" 

"So there is no proof at all" Harry closed his eyes "Dumbledore and Fudge are working together and they're going to send her to the gallows and there's nothing we can do to stop them, is there?"

"Actually - there is" Percival said "But there is a risk, and even if works you won't be able to return to Britain"

"For how long?"

"Ever again" Luna said.

"The Headmaster and Minister are conspiring to kill my best friend" He shrugged "Why would I ever want to come back?" He turned to Percival "So - what do I have to do?"

"Die"


	9. The Boy Who Died

Albus looked up as Minerva McGonagall walked into his office.

"It's another owl from Mister Potter, Albus" She said "He is demanding to speak to you about the upcoming trial of Miss Granger" She put the envelope down on his desk "He is very..... forceful in his demands" Albus sighed.

"I am not certain what can be gained from this, Minerva" He said "Minister Fudge is never going to accept the truth - not at this stage. And he was insistent on putting both Mister Potter and Miss Granger on trial" He looked down at his desk for a moment, then looked back up at her "You are aware why I couldn't permit that to happen"

"Then why not explain that to him, Albus" She said "If The Dark Lord has returned, and as Mister Potter is now in a great deal more danger, then why not tell him about The Prophecy and tell him about his destiny and his place in the world?" She walked forward and sat down in the chair opposite his desk "Isn't it about time he learned the truth about his future?"

"I have been considering that, it is true" He nodded "However I worry how it will affect him - he is already suffering from seeing Voldemort return, and from watching young Mister Diggory die in front of him. If I now tell him that he is the only one who can save the magical world, and that he is our last, best hope for a new world?" He shook his head "I worry that the pressure will get to him and that he will....." He trailed off "I just worry about what the affect of telling him might be"

"Miss Granger is facing life imprisonment" Minerva said "Or worse. How do you think that that is going to affect him, Albus?" He stared back at her, then gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"I will visit him tomorrow and talk to him - although I fear it will lead us down a dark path" He said.

xoxox

The following morning he put on his cloak, then walked down to the main gates of the school. Once he was outside the ward boundaries, he turned on the spot and vanished.

He reappeared in Little Whinging, and looked around for a few moments before strolling along Wisteria Lane and turning down Privet Drive.

Arriving at Number 4, he knocked on the door. A few moments later, the door was opened by Petunia.

"Oh - you" She glared at him "You're hear for the boy?"

"Yes, thank you Mrs Dursley" He gave a polite nod "And somewhere to talk, if that is at all possible"

"Go through to the conservatory. I'll send him down" She said abruptly "Don't touch anything" She stood to one side and let him walk past her, then lead him through the house and out into the back "Harry will be down in a minute" She turned and swept out of the room.

xoxox

Harry looked up as the door to his room swung open.

"That crazy old man is here" Petunia snapped "Down in the conservatory" She turned, then turned back "Don't take too long - you've got to make tea for tonight"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia" Harry nodded, then bounded to his feet. Petunia walked out into the hall and then stood aside as he skirted past her and down the stairs.

"Crazy wizards" She growled, then followed him downstairs and watched him vanish into the back of the house.

xoxox

"Professor Dumbledore" Harry said, then sat down opposite him "Thank you for coming, finally"

"Harry" Albus inclined his head "It seemed that you were not going to take no for an answer, and I thought you might be drawing undue attention to yourself by sending one owl after another"

"Why would that be a problem?" Harry stared at him "It's not like the Death Eaters don't know where I live already. I would've thought the last fortnight proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt"

"I take your point" Albus admitted "However there is the matter of The International Statute to take account of - there are other people than Death Eaters who could be alerted to the presence of magic" 

"Is that why you obliviated Dudley? Piers? Is that why you hunted down Charles and Mark and obliviated them as well?"

"I did what was required to protect you, and to protect our world" Albus' voice became slightly more firm "I also did what was necessary for the good of those poor boys - if they had started spouting off stories about magic, and Dark Wizards, what do you think their parents would have done to them?"

"Was it necessary to obliviate them before they were questioned?" Harry asked "Before they could tell the Aurors, or Director Bones about the Death Eaters?"

"I felt that time was of the essence, Harry" Albus said, his voice becoming more soothing again "Allowing Charles and Mark to talk to their parents would have been upsetting to them - it could have caused a great deal of harm to both them and to our world" He paused "And the relationship between you and your aunt is already strained - I was, I believe, rightfully concerned about what might have happened if your cousin had accused you of tormenting him"

"Is there any way to recover their memories?" Harry leaned forward "Could you recover their memories, place them in a pensieve - like the one I saw in your office - and then obliviate them again?" He rested his hands on his knees "The safety of the Statute would be preserved, and we could show Hermione's trial what happened so she could be set free"

"I am afraid once memories are obliviated, Harry, they are gone for good - they cannot be retrieved" Albus said apologetically.

"So Hermione is going to be put on trial, and she will be sent to Azkaban?" Harry said darkly "Could you try to arrange some kind of plea for mercy? Instead of having her sent to that..... place, see if you can get her banished from the magical world?"

"Are you sure that is wise?" Albus looked at him thoughtfully.

"Sirius only went through twelve years, and it changed him" Harry said, shivering at the thought "Remus said he has never been the same since he came out, and he is a lot older than Hermione is, and it was only twelve years" He leaned forward "If they put her in there for life, it will kill her"

"Have you thought about what will happen if she's banished?" Albus asked in response "Her wand will be snapped, and her memory modified to remove all memory of magic. Her parents' memory will also be modified to remove all memory of magic"

"Sounds good to me" Harry shrugged.

"The trial will be conducted in The Ministry. No doubt it will be very well attended by all of Minister Fudge's associates" Albus paused "Including people like Lucius Malfoy" Harry stared at him, his eyes widening "I see you are starting to understand"

"Once Hermione's memory has been wiped, and she is utterly helpless, then Lucius and Draco will be able to get any amount of revenge for all the imagined slights and insults they've suffered at her hands" Harry sighed.

"At her hands, at your hands - at the hands of everyone who considers her a friend" Albus drove the point home "The Ministry won't care - she won't be a witch and so they'll wash their hands of her"

"And The Order?" Harry glared at him.

"While I would like to promise you that we could watch her all day, every day, you would no doubt know I would be lying" Albus replied "I am afraid that if Miss Granger is banished from the magical world, she would be on her own, as would her parents" He paused, then gazed at Harry sympathetically "At least in Azkaban she would be protected by Magical Law Enforcement"

"And dementors" Harry said "And locked up with people who want her dead"

"It is not ideal, I admit, but would it be better for her to be dead?"

"It would be better for her not to be put on trial at all - for us to tell the truth and for her to be acquitted" Harry snapped.

"I am afraid that isn't possible - if I were to interfere in the process then she will always be the girl who attacked two muggles. Even if I can get her out of the trial, the air of suspicion will always hang over her - she will never be free of it" Albus shook his head "Do you really want that for her?"

"It seems to be good enough for Snape" Harry muttered.

"Professor Snape" Albus corrected, but Harry ignored him.

"So what you are saying is that we are going to let a lie persist, let Hermione take the blame for something that didn't happen and let her waste away and die all because you cannot be bothered to find an alternative?"

"I am afraid the circumstances have forced my hand, Harry. It was vital that you not be placed in the same situation, and because of that I am sad to say Miss Granger has to bear this burden" Albus said softly, almost regrettably "If she knew the circumstances I believe she would make the same choice"

"What circumstances? Harry leaned back in his chair "Why is it vital that I am not on trial? Why would Hermione agree to this if she knew the truth?" He stared at the Headmaster then Albus nodded.

"Very well" He said "But what I'm about to tell you is a closely guarded secret. Very few people know about it - The Minister doesn't know, Director Bones doesn't know, most of my staff don't know" He paused "The Dark Lord doesn't know"

"Just get on with it, Headmaster" Harry said "Hermione is going to die and I don't have time to waste with your idle chatter" 

"I just want you to realise the import of what I'm telling you" Albus continued as if Harry hadn't spoken "Before you were born there was a prophecy made that a child would be born who be the one to kill The Dark Lord. The prophecy was very specific in its detail - and the most salient part was that the child would be born at the end of July"

"Neville and I were both born at the end of July" Harry replied almost at once.

"And yet you are the only one who fulfils the rest of the criteria for the prophecy" Albus responded "I have made a very in depth study of this, Harry, and I am certain that you are the only one" He paused "You are the only wizard who has the power to kill Lord Voldemort" Harry stared at him for a moment.

"That's why you sold Hermione down the river" He said.

"If Minister Fudge were to put you on trial - if you were to be sent to Azkaban - there would be no one to stop Voldemort" Albus said "The magical world would fall to him, and a lot of people will die" He gazed at him "Could you really live with that on your conscience?"

"Do you think I can live with saving the magical world knowing that I condemned my best friend to the pits of hell? Knowing that every day I am alive, she is suffering the worst torments imaginable?" He lowered his hands on to his knees.

"Headmaster - if you want my cooperation, and you want me to save the magical world, you will find a way to get Hermione out of this" He said calmly "If not - if you can't, or won't, help Hermione - then the magical world is on its own" He paused "It can burn for all I care"

"You would condemn your friends to Voldemort's rule?" Albus asked.

"I am not the one who is condemning them, Headmaster - the future is entirely in your hands" Harry said quietly "From what I understand the trial starts in a little under two weeks. If the trial goes ahead, I will know what decision you've made" He stood up "I believe you know your way out"

"You are starting down a dangerous path, Harry" Albus said as he rose to his feet "I am only trying to do what is best for you. If you let the magical world fall to Voldemort, they will hate you for it" Harry quirked an eyebrow.

"You told me that the prophecy was a closely guarded secret, Headmaster" He said in a slightly amused tone "How are people going to know that this is my fault if no one knows that I am The Chosen One - the saviour?" He gestured to the door "Please show yourself out - I have to start making tea for my aunt, uncle and cousin" He turned and walked out of the conservatory, leaving Albus staring after him.

xoxox

Later that night, Harry leaned back against the headboard of his bed, then slowly counted down.

"Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Zero" As he finished, there was a swirl of bright white smoke and Luna appeared in front of him. She swayed for a moment, then regained her balance and turned to face him.

"Good evening, Harry" She said in a conversational tone, then walked over and sat down on the bed beside him, before swinging her legs up and leaning back against the headboard as well "I am starting to wonder what J would make of the fact we always seem to end up in bed together whenever we meet"

"I'm sure she will find it very amusing" Harry said, then he reached out and pulled her into a hug "How are you doing, my girl?"

"Oh - it ain't easy being me" She said.

"I know" He admitted "I tried it once - gave me a headache after the first give minutes" He paused "Plus I really don't have the legs for wearing skirts" He looked down at his legs "I think it's the ankles" She gave a soft laugh.

"I think you have quite nice legs, as legs go, but now that I think about it I am not sure I'd want to see them in a skirt" She paused, closed her eyes and almost at once opened them again "Definitely not - no offence"

"None taken" He smiled "I met with Albus today"

"So I hear" She said.

"Why am I not surprised?" Harry grinned "I take it our friend told you the news?"

"He may have mentioned it" Luna nodded "So was it everything you expected?"

"Actually I learned something new" Harry leaned his head on her shoulder "How much do you know about prophecies?"

"That Daddy thinks they are mostly bunkum - they are a guess that comes true. When they are right, people say 'Thus it was predicted' and when they are wrong people say 'It must apply to something else that is going to happen' or 'That it is a metaphor' or some other rationalisation" She shrugged "There are maybe one or two true seers in a generation, but they are very rare" She ran her fingers up and down his arm "Why the sudden interest?"

"Sometime in the month before I was born, there was a prophecy made about a child who would be born at the end of July" Harry said in a calm voice "This child would be the one to kill Voldemort - the only one who can" Luna continued to stroke his arm.

"You and Neville were both born at the end of July" She said.

"Something I pointed out to our redoubtable Headmaster" He nodded "He qualified his explanation with the fact that the prophecy had some additional...... criteria that meant it had to be me"

"Did he tell you the criteria?" Luna asked, but before he could respond she shook her head "Of course not - because if you know all the details it would be easier to debate them and disprove them"

"Whatever the additional criteria, the Headmaster was very insistent that I am the only person who can save the magical world from its latest threat" He paused "And since he was so insistent that I am The Chosen One and the future saviour of all, I gave him an ultimatum"

"I bet that went down well" Luna's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"I would take that bet, but my aunt didn't raise an idiot" Harry smirked.

"Except your cousin"

"Except my cousin" Harry gave a snort of amusement, then his face fell. He sat up and turned to face her, looking grave.

"We both know if Hermione goes to trial, she is going to be convicted. She will be sent to Azkaban and we will most likely never see her again" He took a deep breath "I love her too, Luna, and I am never going to let that happen - if you believe nothing else, believe that" She nodded.

"So I offered him a deal - either he gets Hermione out of this in whatever way he sees fit, or I let magical Britain burn" He reached out and took her hands.

"If Hermione goes to trial, then I am not going to do anything to save the magical world - it can fall to Voldemort, it can burn, it can be ripped apart and I will stand by and watch it happen" She gazed back at him.

"What about your friends?" She asked quietly "You know Voldemort will come for them" She squeezed his hands "What about the innocent? The muggle-born? Their families? The ones who can't protect themselves?" Harry smiled.

"What I told The Headmaster and what I am planning may be two different things" He admitted "And, heart of my heart, you know me far too well to think I would just stand by and let someone suffer" 

"So what do you think he's going to do?" She said after a moment.

"I think he's going to promise me that he will do his best, but that in two weeks time, Hermione will stand trial and she will almost certainly be convicted" He said "And I think that he believes that Hermione is in Azkaban, and there is nothing that can be done to change it, I will fall in line. That once I see people suffering, or that the threat of Voldemort becomes more real, I will accept my fate and bow to his wisdom"

"He really believes that?" Luna stared at him in surprise.

"Look at the past four years" Harry shrugged "When have I ever argued with him?" He sighed "But enough of my problems - how was your day? Did our friend get things sorted out? Is everything ready? Do the plans proceed apace?"

"Apace?" Luna arched her eyebrows.

"It's a word" He said defensively. 

"I know - I just didn't realise it was a word you knew" She said with a grin "And yes - the plans proceed apace" She paused "Assuming that our incomparable Headmaster doesn't manage to find a way out of this, Daddy will come and pick you up on the day of the trial, take you to The Ministry and I will meet you there" She paused "Are you certain you still wish to do this?"

"Yes" He nodded.

"Even with the risks involved?"

"Yes" He nodded again "Have you talked to Hermione?"

"Yes" Luna nodded "She said - and I quote - the boy is a lunatic, but I would much rather try this than spend one minute inside that hellhole of an island" She paused "Then she snogged my brains out"

"So what did you do after those five seconds?" Harry asked with a smirk. 

"I'm going to tell her you said that" Luna rolled her eyes and whacked him on the arm.

"So - either I will see your father in two weeks time, or I will see you and Hermione in two weeks time" Harry paused "Actually I'm going to see you and Hermione in two weeks time either way"

"Good job no one ever tried to song your brains out" Luna said with a laugh "There wouldn't be enough time to get started" 

xoxox

_Harry,_

_I have listened to everything you said, and I understand your point of view. Hermione is very close to you, and I understand why you feel that you owe her a lot._

_I have a meeting with Minister Fudge today, and I believe I can get through to him - make him understand that it is in neither of our best interests to see Hermione Granger sent to prison._

_We can find a solution that will meet our mutual needs, and that will ensure that, when Voldemort returns, the magical world will still have its saviour to make sure our world is not lost._

_Please keep this in mind when you are considering any further plans - I would hate for you to make any rash decisions that you might come to regret._

_Regards,  
Albus Dumbledore._

Harry stared at the letter for nearly a minute, then screwed it up and threw it in the bin.

"I would rather be dead in a ditch than help you any more, you hypocritical, sanctimonious prick"

xoxox

One week later, Harry was pacing back and forth in his front room. He had asked Vernon, Petunia and Dudley to go to the cinema and now he was waiting for one of two people to appear.

Ever since his the letter had arrived from Dumbledore, he had been pretty sure that the Headmaster had been lying - that the trial today was going to see Hermione tried for unforgivable curses and sent to Azkaban for the rest of her life. And if that was the case then Xeno Lovegood would be portkeying in in around three minutes.

But if, on the off chance Albus was telling the truth, and he had found a way to get Hermione out of her impending fate, then he was fairly sure he would see Luna and Hermione arrive shortly.

He started pacing again, wondering about the second part of the plan. He knew that Xeno, Luna and Percival would all be waiting at The Ministry - would all be in the court room - but so would The Headmaster and he knew that Dumbledore was going to try to stop him.

There was a swirl of light in the mirror, and he turned to see Luna's father stood in front of him.

"The trial starts in half an hour" Xeno said "Hermione is facing charges of torturing two muggles using an unforgivable curse, using magic out of school, using magic in front of three muggles who were unaware of its existence, using magic against muggles and lying to Ministry officials" He paused "She is expected to get two life sentences in Azkaban" Harry sighed, then looked around the room.

"Can you send Hedwig to live with Neville Longbottom?" He asked "And once this is over, can you post the letter to my Aunt and explain everything?"

"Of course" Xeno nodded. Harry looked around the living room again, then sighed.

"I guess we should be going then" He said. Xeno held out his hand, and Harry took it.

"Remember to close your eyes" Xeno said, and Harry smiled.

"You don't need to tell me twice" He replied, then - taking what he knew would be his last ever look at Number 4, Privet Drive - he slowly closed his eyes.

"Calthanion" Xeno said, and - in a flash of light - they were gone.

xoxox

They reappeared outside The Ministry, and found Luna waiting for them. 

"Ready to face the enemy?" She asked.

"Not even in the slightest" Harry replied with a slight smile.

"Excellent" She slipped her hand into his, and took her father's hand with her other, then together all three walked up the stairs to the main entrance and into the building.

"Welcome to The Ministry of Magic" The receptionist smiled "May I ask the purpose of your visit?"

"We are here for the trial of Hermione Granger" Xeno said "Reporter for The Quibbler" He flashed his press pass.

"And these two?" She raised her eyebrows.

"My interns" He replied.

"Names?"

"Clark Kent and Lana Lang" Xeno replied without missing a beat. A moment later, the receptionist handed over three name badges.

"Magic is forbidden in the halls, Mister Lovegood" She said "With the usual exceptions. Once you get into court you will be expected to abide by the usual press regulations"

"Of course" He nodded, then he walked off through the corridors to the lift and all three got in. They took the lift down to the basement and got out, walking along to the court room.

"Harry?" They came to a halt as they approached Court Room Number 3 - Albus Dumbledore was waiting outside "Might I ask what you are doing here?"

"He is working for me, Mister Dumbledore" Xeno said "He's an intern on The Quibbler staff"

"It's not safe for him to be here, Mister Lovegood"

"Not safe? We are in the heart of The Ministry" Xeno replied "There are Aurors on duty all over the building, and the court room will have extra security. Why wouldn't he be safe?" Albus stared at him "Could you excuse us? The trial is about to start, and we really should be in our seats when it does - otherwise we won't be able to report on it properly"

"You are reporting on this trial?" He looked at Luna "Are you sure that's wise?"

"If my girlfriend is going to be sent to Azkaban, Headmaster, I want to make certain people know the truth as to why" Luna said "Now will you let us report on this trial, or are you going to openly obstruct the freedom of the press?" Without waiting for a response she turned and walked into the court. A moment later, Harry and Xeno followed her, leaving Albus staring after them. 

xoxox

"All rise" The Ministry official stood at the corner of the court said in a clear, loud voice. Everyone in the court rose to their feet as a panel of five men and women in blue robes walked into the court and took their seats. 

"Be seated" Harry sat down, then looked at the well of the court room. There was a table with two seats behind it, and another table with a single seat behind it. He also noticed that there were quite a few Aurors stood around the edge of the well, with wands by their sides.

"The court is now in session" The lead justice - a woman sat in the middle of the five - said "Please bring in the defendant" Harry and Luna both turned to see a door in the back of the court room open, and two Aurors lead in Hermione. She looked slightly thinner than when Harry had last seen her, but other than that she seemed okay. 

She saw down at the table, and a moment later a red haired woman sat down next to her. A minute or so later a man walked over to the other table and sat down.

"Hermione Jane Granger" The lead justice said "My name is Aramantia McGill, and I am a justice on the Wizengamot. I, along with my four associates, have been selected to try this case. I understand that you are a muggle born witch, but this case is conducted under magical law, not British law"

"I understand, Madame McGill" Hermione nodded.

"Are you happy with your representation?" Aramantia asked.

"We have spoken a few times over the past week - she seems relatively competent" Hermione shrugged "I was told that I couldn't have my family lawyer assigned to me, since he is non-magical, and since that was a non-starter, Miss Thompkins is - as I said - acceptable" 

"Very well - we will proceed" Aramantia nodded, then turned to the man at the other table "Mister Hoffman?" Gary Hoffman stood up.

"Thank you, Madame McGill" He said "This is a very simple case - two weeks ago, on the 19th of June - Hermione Jane Granger visited Harry Potter at his home. As she and Mister Potter were walking around the neighbourhood, they were set upon by his cousin and some of his friends. There is a long history of enmity between Mister Potter and his cousin, and in the ensuing scuffle, Miss Granger used magic to try to get them to back off. This only made them more angry and the fight got more brutal, leading her to cast two unforgivable curses against Mister Potter's cousin and his friend Mister Polkiss" He paused "While this is a sad situation, I am afraid that our laws are inviolable and that the use of these curses must be punished regardless of the circumstance" He turned to face the panel of justices.

"It is an unfortunate set of circumstances, but we cannot ignore the law" He walked back to his table and sat down.

"Miss Thompkins?"

"Miss Granger does not deny using magic, Madame Justice" Elarana Thompkins said "And the story that Mister Hoffman told you is the foundation of the truth, but with one major flaw" She rested her hands on the table "Miss Granger did visit Mister Potter, and they were set upon by his cousin and his friends. However during the fight, five Death Eaters turned up and attacked all of them" There was a wave of gasps around the court "Under our laws - the laws that Mister Hoffman is so desperate and eager to have us protect - students are not permitted to use magic out of school unless their lives are in clear and present danger" She turned to face Gary "I would say that the presence of five Death Eaters would most definitely qualify as that" She fell silent for a moment, then turned back to face the panel of justices "During the ensuing fight, the Death Eaters placed Mister Dursley and Mister Polkiss under the cruciatus curses, before apparating away" She walked back to stand beside her client.

"Miss Granger does not deny using magic, but our laws specifically permit her to use it when her life is in mortal danger. However she does deny using any unforgivable curses, and she does deny any wrong doing" Elarana rested her hands on the table and stared at the five justices "I believe that she has no case to answer, and that this trial will prove that" She sat down.

There were a few moments of silence in the court, then Aramantia cleared her throat.

"Mister Hoffman - please begin"

"Yes, Madame McGill" He stood up again.

"My first witness is Auror Jones" He said, then watched as the Auror walked through the court and up to the stand.

"Auror Jones - the stand will not directly compel you to tell the truth, however it will provide an indication if you are being less than truthful so I would suggest that you keep your answers to the point and do not attempt to lie"

"Yes, Madame Justice" He nodded.

"Mister Hoffman" Aramantia indicated he could continue. 

"Auror Jones - can you tell us what happened when you arrived at the scene of the attack?"

"We received an alert that there had been a magical disturbance in Little Whinging, so I took my squad there. We found Mister Potter and Miss Granger there, along with two boys - who were later identified as muggles - who were suffering from exposure to the cruciatus curse" Jones said.

"What did Mister Potter and Miss Granger say?"

"That they had been attacked by Death Eaters, and that they fought back. During the fight, the Death Eaters cruciated the two boys"

"Did you see any Death Eaters?" Gary asked.

"No" Jones shook his head "There were only four people there - no evidence of anyone else"

"And did you have any reason to believe that Death Eaters would show up in Little Whinging?"

"It's not my place to say, sir" Jones replied "I would say that both Mister Potter and Miss Granger were very insistent that they were attacked by Death Eaters. They even named Lucius Malfoy as one of them"

"Auror Jones - in your experience do people who have used unforgivable curses generally confess to using them? Or do they make up stories?"

"They generally do not confess, and do tend to find other explanations" Jones nodded.

"And would giving one of these Death Eaters a name - the name of someone Mister Potter has had dealings with before - make the story more convincing?" 

"I suppose that would be the case" Jones nodded again.

"However there is no proof that there were any Death Eaters there?"

"We didn't see any" Jones shook his head.

"Thank you" Gary walked back to his seat.

xoxox

Harry watched as Elarana cross examined Auror Jones, then he looked at Luna.

"When would be the best time to make our move?" He asked in a low voice.

"Two witnesses from now" Luna said "Daddy got a look at the witness list, and it's going to be Minister Fudge - he is going to talk about what happened when he arrived" She smiled "You can let your anger at him flow free - really rip into him"

"That sounds like fun" He said with a smirk.

"The key part is that you have to say there were Death Eaters, you have to say you used magic against them as well and you have to demand to be put on trial. Then you walk down to the floor of the court and stand next to Hermione" She paused "And then you let fate take its merry course"

"Quite" He took a deep breath "What are you going to do if this goes wrong? And what is your father going to do?"

"He knows the risks, and he knows what I'm going to do" She said, then rested her hand on his leg "But we're going to have a long time to talk about this on our own private island"

"Yes dear" He smiled, then turned back and watched Elarana walked back to her seat while Auror Jones walked down from the witness stand.

xoxox

"I would like to call Minister Fudge to the stand" Gary said. The door at the back of the court opened, and Cornelius entered, dressed in his usual lime green suit and hat. He strode up to the witness stand.

"Minister Fudge - the stand will not directly compel you to tell the truth, however it will provide an indication if you are being less than truthful so I would suggest that you keep your answers to the point and do not attempt to lie"

"Thank you, Madame Justice" Cornelius nodded.

"Mister Hoffman" 

"Madame Justice" Gary stood up, and walked out into the well of the chamber "Minister Fudge - how were you made aware of this this incident?"

"Headmaster Dumbledore and I were talking in my office when Auror Jones alerted me to the fact a witch and a wizard had been caught doing underage magic. I asked for two Auror squads to accompany us - as was the standard precaution - and then we set off to Privet Drive"

"And what did you find when you got there?" 

"Auror Jones was holding Mister Potter and Miss Granger, while another Auror was administering post cruciatus potion to two muggles" Cornelius paused "Auror Jones was questioning them about what happened"

"And what did they say?" Gary asked.

"That they had been attacked by five Death Eaters" Cornelius shook his head "An obvious distraction - why would Death Eaters be in Privet Drive?"

"To attack me, Minister" Cornelius, Gary and the Justices all looked sideways in surprise as Harry stood up.

"Mister Potter - you are not a part of this trial" Aramantia said, turning her attention to him.

"I should be, Madame Justice" Harry replied, walking down to the steps to the well of the chamber "If I might address the court?" Aramantia stared at him for a moment, then gave a brief nod. He vaulted over the dividing barrier and walked over to stand beside Hermione.

"Hello"

"Hello"

"Mister Potter" Aramantia said "Perhaps you would see fit to explain your intervention?"

"Yes, Madame Justice" Harry nodded "As you have listened to all of the testimony, you will have learned that both Hermione and I were attacked by Death Eaters"

"Claim to have been attacked" Gary interjected.

"And that both of us fought back" Harry said "We both used underage magic to defend ourselves against the Death Eaters"

"There were no Death Eaters!" Cornelius snapped.

"Then who cast the crucitatus curse on Dudley and Piers?" Harry snapped back.

"You and Hermione!"

"Then why is Hermione the only one on trial?" Harry shouted.

"Because we made a deal to ensure your safety" Cornelius shouted back, then he fell silent.

"Madame Justice" Elarana stood up "I think there is something a miss here - something we have to investigate"

"Miss Thompkins, I would have to agree" Aramantia replied "I think that I am going to adjourn the court until we can get to the bottom of this"

"So The Minister and Headmaster can make another deal to screw us both over again?" Harry said angrily "Why should we have any faith in anything that happens?"

"Mister Potter - you will show the respect to this court it deserves" Aramantia said, her expression turning angry.

"I am showing the respect to the court that the court deserves" Harry replied.

"Mister Potter - if you continue to show this level of disrespect, I will be forced to have you arrested for contempt of court"

"The Minister and Headmaster conspired to have my girlfriend to sent to Azkaban because they consider her a worthless mudblood, Aramantia - I would say we are already in held in contempt and not just by the court" Harry said with a sneer.

"Aurors - arrest them!" Aramantia shouted. Hermione looked up at Luna, and mouthed the words "I love you", then she slipped her hand in to Harry's. 

"Good luck" He whispered.

"Love you too" She replied.

"Farhampton" He said.

xoxox

Albus watched as five red robed figures closed in on Harry and Hermione.

_"Farhampton"_

He jumped to his feet as Harry and Hermione vanished in a swirl of light. 

"Where did they go?" Aramantia demanded "And how did they escape?" The Auror turned, but before he could reply, a siren ripped through the room and a moment later a number of body parts rained down from the ceiling, landing in the well of the chamber and a few of the Aurors. 

Luna bolted to her feet and charged down the steps, followed closely by her father. She stopped at the barrier surrounding the well of the chamber, staring at the body parts that were strewn around the floor.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" She screamed at Aramantia "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HAVE YOU DONE?"


	10. The After Life

**BOY WHO LIVED DIES TRYING TO ESCAPE MINISTRY**

_HARRY POTTER AND HERMIONE GRANGER CONVICTED OF MULTIPLE CRIMES_

_TORTURE, UNDERAGE MAGIC, CONSPIRACY AND CONTEMPT_

_"Justice has been done" Minister Fudge announces "No one can escape"_

The Daily Prophet rushed out a special edition and distributed it all over the country, free of charge, the following morning. Inside, there was a full description of the events at the trial, of what had happened at Privet Drive, interviews with Cornelius Fudge, various Aurors and Albus Dumbledore.

_I spoke to Cornelius Fudge in his office, and he seemed very sympathetic to Mister Potter's plight._

_"It seems that the stress Mister Potter suffered from the events of The Tri-Wizard Tournament must have affected him far more than we had first known" He said "It's apparent that he lost his mind, and both he and Miss Granger took their anger out on two innocent muggle boys" He shook his head sadly._

_"And when they were confronted with their crimes - when they were asked to face up to what they had done and make up for their wrong-doing - they chose to try to run rather than than face the music" At this point Minister Fudge's face became firm and angry "Well it turns out that you cannot run from the law, and you cannot run from justice"_

_"Minister - in the trial both Harry Potter and Hermione Granger suggested they were attacked by Death Eaters, including your friend and associate Mister Lucius Malfoy. Do you have any comment on that?"_

_"There are no Death Eaters in Britain, other than those who are locked up in Azkaban" Cornelius replied with a smile "You know who has not returned, and so his Death Eaters will not have returned" He paused "And it was conclusively proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Lucius Malfoy was not a Death Eater - that he was under the imperius curse" He smiled "Lucius Malfoy is a valuable adviser to The Ministry and I will not have him slandered by a pair of children who have proven to be criminals"_

_"Are you concerned that the country will question how The Boy Who Lived - the young man who saved us from You Know How - died while he was in your custody?"_

_"I am not" Cornelius shook his head "Mister Potter may have done a good service to our country at one time, but that mean we shouldn't hold them to the same standards as everyone else in the rest of our country" He sighed "Miss Granger and Mister Potter both committed serious crimes and while we will always owe them for the service they have done, that does not excuse the crimes they have committed"_

The story caused shockwaves around the country, but before the end of the day the prevailing feeling was that this had been a long time coming - that a muggleborn girl had lead him astray, that the Headmaster had corrupted him, that his confrontation with You Know Who when he was a child had planted a seed of evil that was bound to destroy him eventually.

"Minister Fudge" Albus stood in front of Cornelius' desk, staring down at the copy of The Daily Prophet on the desk "Was this strictly necessary?"

"Is there anything in this that is not true, Albus?" Cornelius gazed back up at him with a placid expression "I merely asked Miss Skeeter to report the events of what happened in court, told her what happened at Privet Drive and gave her some context around the events" He smiled "While I admit that Miss Skeeter gave the story some of her usual flair, the salient facts are as they happened"

"You are casting Mister Potter as the inheritor of Lord Voldemort, Cornelius - you are making him out to be the next Dark Lord rising" Albus said darkly "Is it strictly necessary to darken his reputation like that?"

"He is dead, Albus" Cornelius shrugged "I am not sure it will matter to him what state his reputation is in"

"Miss Granger's parents are still here"

"They will no longer be a part of this world - since their daughter was a fugitive when she died - she would have been required to hand over her wand and be expelled regardless" Cornelius pointed out.

"Minister Fudge" Albus took a deep breath "You are using this article, and you are attacking their reputation and their names, because you do not want to face the truth" He walked forward, leaned over and rested his hands on the desk, staring Cornelius in the face "Harry and Hermione were attacked by Death Eaters on the instructions of Lord Voldemort"

"LORD VOLDEMORT IS DEAD!" Cornelius shouted "HE HAS NOT RETURNED!" Albus stared at him.

"Lord Voldemort has created a situation where Harry Potter is dead, and where Hermione Granger is dead, Cornelius" Albus said calmly "And that is without ever taking an active role" He straightened up "Imagine what will happen when he makes himself known and truly puts his mind to taking back what he believes is his" He turned and walked over to the door.

"Remember this conversation, Minister, because there will be a day when Lord Voldemort comes out of the shadows and makes his plans known" He paused "And articles and stories like that....." He waved at the paper "..... will only make it easier for him" Without waiting for a response, he pulled the door open and walked out of the office.

xoxox

In The Burrow, Molly Weasley stared down at the paper, then looked up at her husband.

"Do you think it's true?" She asked "I have never entirely trusted that girl - she does not behave like good witch should"

"She was a good friend to Harry, and to Ron and Ginny" Arthur pointed out "And she was a very good friend to the Lovegood girl" Molly rolled her eyes.

"That's what I meant" She replied "A good witch would find a husband and settle down - not go gallivanting around with other witches"

"She was a child, Molly" Arthur reached out and took her hand "It is far too soon for anyone to be finding their future spouse" He paused "What about Harry? Do you really think he would torture someone? Even his cousin?"

"No, of course not" Molly shook her head "But I think that that girl might be able to convince him to take the blame for her doing it" She paused "Or she might use other means to do it"

"Molly!" Arthur looked at her rebukingly "Are you really accusing Hermione - a girl we have had in our house, a girl we know and love - of using dark magic against Harry?" He shook his head "There is something wrong here - something we're not being told about what's going on" He paused "I have an idea, Molly love, but I will need your help" Molly sighed, then nodded.

"I need to talk to Luna" He said "And to our children"

xoxox

"Buttercup?" Luna sat up in bed as her father pushed the door to her bedroom open "Can I come in?"

"Yes" She nodded "I was just writing a letter to....."

"Arthur Weasley is waiting downstairs" He cut her off "I don't know how far your voice carries, tulip, but I thought I'd talk to you first" She smiled at him, then nodded.

"I'll finish my letter to Santa Claus later" She said "What does Mister Weasley want?"

"They want to talk about Harry and Hermione" Xeno said "They don't believe what's written in The Daily Prophet but Molly has some doubts about Hermione. Arthur suggested she talk to us" He paused "They also want to include the kids, since they know more about Harry and Hermione than their parents" Luna leaned back against her headboard.

"Close the door" She said, and Xeno pushed the door to behind him.

"Do you think they know anything?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"No" He shook his head.

"So they are just talking to us to find out whether The Prophet is telling the truth?"

"And why we haven't published a rebuttal" He suggested. She looked at him thoughtfully.

"Okay" She nodded "Tell him we'll be over this afternoon" She smiled "Give us time to get our story together"

"Are you sure, geranium?"

"Yes" She nodded again "We owe it to them, and we can tell them what comes next and why we haven't published"

"Okay, sunflower" He smiled, then turned and opened the door "I'll see you downstairs, and we'll get our story straight and go over this afternoon" He left her bedroom and let the door closed behind him. She looked back down at her letter.

_So, Lucy, it seems I have a new adventure on my hands. We're going over to The Watchtower's Family this afternoon to refute and disabuse them about the stories in The Solaris. Daddy and I are going to plot our story out, then tell them what's going on, and after that we're going to tell them about our plans to leave the country._

_How are things in the great white north? Been attacked by any abominable snow men yet? (smirk) I know you and Da'Mooch are setting up the cover before we hit our final destination, and I am sorry I can't be a part of it, but once we've sorted out our things here then Alfred and I will be over to join you._

_In the meantime, I remain your faithful minx,  
Kitty._

xoxox

"Luna, Xeno - thank you for coming" Molly smiled "Our brood is waiting in the lounge, if you would like to go through"

"Thank you" Xeno returned her smile "And I'm sorry we haven't been around a lot - Luna hasn't really been up to socialising in the past few days"

"I understand" Molly gave Luna sympathetic look, then all three of them walked through to the lounge to find Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny along with Arthur sat on the various seats and sofas.

"Luna, Xeno - our two eldest sons William and Charles"

"Bill"

"Charlie"

"And I believe you know our four youngest" Molly finished.

"Hello" Luna smiled, then she looked at her father "So - what we're going to tell you is the truth as Harry and Hermione told me it" She paused "Which means it's the truth, because I have never known either of them to lie to me"

"So the stuff in The Prophet wasn't true?" Fred asked.

"Of course not" Luna shook her head "You've known Harry for four years, and Hermione for the same legnth of time. Do you really see them torturing anyone with unforgivable curses?" She let out a 'pfffft' noise.

"Harry was out walking around Little Whinging - he had been having nightmares about Cedric's death and Voldemort's return - when Hermione found him. She had gone to visit him to see how he was doing, and to try to cheer him up" She smiled "They played on the swings for a while and then she tried to get him to go on the roundabout, then - when he refused - they went for a walk to the local park"

"Why didn't he want to go on the roundabout?" Ginny asked.

"Because Hermione wanted to spin him round fast enough to make him throw up" Luna said with a giggle, then - at their expressions - she blushed "She was really missing me and letting her crazy out to play"

"Oh" Ginny blinked "That kind of makes sense"

"Anyway - they were talking in the park when Dudley and his winged monkeys turned up. They made a few veiled threats, suggested that they could give Hermione a good time and then five Death Eaters appeared"

"So there were Death Eaters?" Bill asked.

"Lucius Malfoy and four of his friends" Luna nodded "There was a bit of a fight - Hermione attacked them, they attacked Harry and Hermione, Harry and Hermione attacked them and then the Death Eaters cast two cruciatus curses" She frowned "They then disappeared before the Aurors arrived"

"The Aurors arrived, Fudge and Dumbledore arrived and you pretty much know the rest" Xeno said "Dumbledore persuaded Fudge that Harry shouldn't be put on trial and instead sold Hermione down the river. It took us a little time to work out why, but apparently Dumbledore thinks Harry is vital to the future of the magical world and Hermione isn't"

"So if Harry got sent to Azkaban, the magical world would be screwed?" Ron asked.

"Yes" Luna said "And to prevent that they were willing to send Hermione to Azkaban instead" She took a deep breath "I talked to Hermione, and she told me that she would do anything to stay out of that place. Harry said he owed her that much, so together we hatched this plan" She paused then glanced at her father.

"The next part is kind of...... confidential" He said "So you have to promise not to say anything" Everyone nodded "We went to one of the more......... dubious members of the magical world, and she sold us a portkey that could crack The Ministry wards" He glanced at Luna "We knew that they would make a big thing of the trial, and that there would be a chance for Harry to confront Fudge"

"So we just waited for that time to come, and and Harry used it to get close to Hermione" Luna said.

"But something went wrong?" George asked.

"Yeah" Luna closed her eyes "Our contact told us that the portkey could crack the wards but it had a five, ten percent chance of going wrong" She took a deep breath, then opened them again "Harry and Hermione knew the risks - and they both thought it was better than going to Azkaban for the rest of their lives" 

"So they're really dead?" Molly asked.

"Unfortunately" Xeno nodded "Which brings us to the end of our story" He glanced at his daughter "I know there has been some question as to why Hermione's girlfriend, and one of Harry's best friends, hasn't taken advantage of the fact they work for a newspaper to publish the story we just told you"

"I have been curious" Arthur admitted "The story written in The Prophet has been seen in every house in the magical Britain, and a lot of people are starting to believe it. Just one article in The Quibbler could help turn that around - give people something to believe in"

"We considered it" Xeno nodded "But we didn't want that to be our last edition" 

"Your last....." Molly trailed off.

"We're leaving the country" Luna said "I can't come back to Hogwarts - not when Hermione and Harry will both be gone, and now that the country believes they are criminals, I just don't want to be here any more" She looked at her father "We're both moving to Australia, and it's most probable we're not going to come back"

"Wow" Ron said softly.

"I know it's a lot to tell you all at once, and we kind of sprung this whole moving thing on you" Xeno said "But magical Britain has become a bad place for us, and neither of us feel very welcome here any more" He paused "We're going to miss you, and a few other people, but we can't be here any more"

"So when are you leaving? Arthur asked.

"The day after tomorrow" Xeno said "The house will be all packed up, and our place in Sydney will be ready"

"We're going to let Hogwarts know tomorrow, and that will be that" Luna said.

"I'll miss you" Ginny smiled.

"And I'll miss you too" Luna walked over and gave her a hug "But........" She trailed off "It's time - it's just time"

xoxox

Twenty minutes later, Luna and Xeno walked back across the fields, into the grounds of The Rookery and up the garden path. 

As they entered their house, Xeno drew his wand and pointed it at the red jewel by the front door.

"Seal the wards" He said "No one else may enter" There was a low ping and a slight shimmer, then he turned to face his daughter.

"Are you sure we shouldn't tell them the truth?" He asked.

"Yes" She nodded "It isn't that we can't trust them - they all liked Harry, and I think they'd be happy to know the truth" She walked over and sat down at the kitchen table "But William works closely with the Goblins - if he knew the truth he might be required to tell them under his contract and then it might get back to The Ministry"

"That's a good point" Xeno nodded.

"And Molly and Arthur are very loyal to Dumbledore" Luna continued "If they knew that Harry and Hermione were alive and well and living in Canada under the names Lucy Locket and Peter DiMucci then they would almost certainly tell the Headmaster" She looked up at him "And given what Harry told us about the prophecy and about his place in the future of the magical world..........."

"The Headmaster wouldn't hesitate to go to Canada and drag them back, kicking and screaming if necessary" Xeno sat down opposite her "And since they are facing life in jail......."

"They would be at his mercy" Luna said in disgust "That is if he even admits he has them - if he still continues to pretend they are dead he could quite literally keep them as his slaves - make them do his bidding without anyone else knowing" She felt the anger rising in her voice, so she took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"I don't like deceving my friends, Daddy, but if Harry and Hermione are to have any kind of normal life then we have to let them stay dead - no one can know they are alive"

"Does that mean we're going to talk to..... our mutual friend?" He asked with an amused grin. Luna rolled her eyes.

"No" She shook her head "He's the one who told us what was going on, and helped arrange all of this - he wouldn't have started this if he was just going to sell us out" She smiled "The sum total of people who know the truth are the four of us and The Watchtower - our secret is safe. And once we leave, no one will be able to find us"

"Not that I want to question this, but what about the prophecy? What if Harry is the only one who can prevent Voldemort taking Britain?" Xeno gazed at his daughter.

"Then they shouldn't have let him die, should they?" Luna said with a shrug.

xoxox

The following morning, they walked through Hogsmeade.

"Is it just me, or is it very quiet today?" Xeno asked.

"I think the village is adjusting to the fact The Boy Who Lived is dead" Luna replied quietly "He was quite a favourite with some of the shopkeepers" She paused, and then gestured to The Hogshead "Abe was especially fond of him"

"Would you like to go and see him?" Her father asked "Since this is the last time we're going to be here?"

"Do you mind?"

"We've got time" He replied, then he took her hand and they walked up to the door of the pub, and went inside.

They found the bar mostly empty, apart from one customer sat at the bar. Luna took a deep breath, then walked up to the bar and called out for the barman.

He appeared a moment later, eyebrows raised.

"We don't normally allow children in here" He said, then looked past her to where Xeno was stood in the doorway "However I think I'll make an exception just this once" Aberforth walked round the bar, then down the length of it before stopping in front of her "Hello, Miss Lovegood"

"Mister Dumbledore" She said.

"I am so very sorry for your loss" He said, then leaned over and gave her a hug.

"Thank you" She said "I just wanted to come in and say thank you for everything you did for Harry during The Tournament - I know he appreciated"

"It was my pleasure, Miss Lovegood" He looked over at her father "Do you have time for a drink?"

"I'm afraid not, Abe" Xeno shook his head "We are just off to the school to see your brother" Abe looked at both of them in turn, then gave a single nod.

"It has been a pleasure knowing you, Mister Lovegood" He said, then he gave Luna another hug before kissing the top of her head "And you, my dear, take care and I hope whatever your future brings you, it brings you safe to a good life"

"Thank you, Mister Dumbledore" She replied "You take care as well - because I fear things are going to get worse before they get better, and that this is only the start of bad times to come" Abe blinked, then smiled.

"I think I can safely say that without you, Miss Granger and Mister Potter to brighten my doorstep, all times to come will be dark" He said with a smile "Now run along. I am sure my brother will be waiting and - take it from me - he does not like to be kept waiting"

"That would seem unlikely" Xeno said "He doesn't know we're coming"

xoxox

They strode up the path towards the school and stopped at the main doors. 

"I must confess" Xeno said "I might not have thought through this part in our plan" Luna laughed.

"You mean we can't just blow the doors off their hinges, or set them on fire and walk through the ashes?" She asked "That's a bit of a bummer"

"You could do that, Miss Lovegood" A voice came from behind them "But I think that - on the whole - I would prefer it if you didn't. We will, after all, be needing the doors at the start of next year" They turned to find Minerva McGonagall stood behind them, a slightly amused grin on her face.

"Professor" Xeno inclined his head "Good morning" 

"Mister Lovegood, Miss Lovegood" Minerva replied "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company on this fine day?"

"We would like to talk to the Headmaster, if that is at all possible" Xeno replied "However if Professor Dumbledore is not available, Professor Flitwick would be a suitable substitute" Minerva stared at them for a moment.

"Very well" She said "If you would like to follow me" She waved her hand, and the doors creaked open.

xoxox

"Miss Lovegood?" Filius Flitwick was walking through the corridors towards his classroom when he caught sight of one of his students. Turning, he walked along the landing and intercepted them at the top of the stairs "Miss Lovegood?"

"Professor" Luna gave him a polite nod "It is nice to see you"

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"If you'd like to accompany us, perhaps you will find out" Luna smiled, then she, Xeno and Minerva set off along the landing towards the Headmaster's office. Filius watched them for a second, then set off after them.

xoxox

"Professor Dumbledore - Luna Lovegood and her father are here to see you" Minerva said, ushering Luna, Xeno and Filius into Albus' office. Albus stood up, and gestured for everyone to sit down.

"Miss Lovegood, Mister Lovegood - a pleasure as always" Albus nodded "So - what can I do for you?"

"I just came to give you this, Headmaster" Luna said. She reached into her jacket, pulled out an envelope and held it out to him.

"Might I ask what it is?" He asked.

"If you open it up, you will find out" Luna replied. Albus looked at it, then looked up at her.

"Are you being deliberately impertinent, Miss Lovegood?"

"Oh no, Headmaster" She said brightly "I am sure if I were doing it deliberately I would be much better at it" She waved the envelope back and forth, then turned to Filius "Professor?" Filius glanced at Albus, then reached out and took the envelope. He opened it, and read through it before looking up at her again.

"Is this true?" He asked.

"Yes, Professor" She nodded.

"When?"

"It takes effect as soon as you read it, Professor" She said "In fact, I would say it's done now" Filius quirked an eyebrow.

"I am not certain I can be the one to accept it, Miss Lovegood" He smiled "I think it has to be the Head or Deputy Head" Luna shrugged.

"I did try, Professor, but he refused to take it from me and I am not going to be trapped here just because he is being snotty" Filius snorted in amusement.

"I take your point" He said, then he turned to the other two professors "Albus - Miss Lovegood has handed in her withdrawal papers from Hogwarts. She has accepted a place at a school in Australia, and she and her father will be moving there at the end of the week" Albus and Minerva both turned to stare at her.

"Might I ask why, Miss Lovegood?"

"Because I had no desire to spend another four years walking round a school that reminds me of everything I have lost" Luna said, her smile fading "Nor do I wish to attend a school run by someone who sold out my two best friends and let them die"

"Miss Lovegood....."

"You sold them out, sir, and you sent them to their deaths" She said "And I am not going to spend any more time in your company than I have to" She turned to Filius "Professor Flitwick - is my letter in order?"

"It is, Miss Lovegood" He nodded "As of you now, you are withdrawn from Hogwarts and are no longer required to attend here" He smiled "If I can offer my personal opinion - I will miss you. I believe you had a bright future here"

"So did Harry" Luna replied "So did Hermione" She glanced at Albus, then turned back to Filius "I think that, for my own safety, I am better off leaving now, before I end up dead as well" She paused "If that is all, my father and I will be leaving"

"Might I know what school you are attending?" Albus asked.

"No" Luna said.

"Why?" Albus looked at her.

"Because I value my privacy, and it is none of your business" She replied, then she turned to her father "I believe we are done here, Daddy - lets go" Without waiting for an answer, they turned and walked out of the office. 

"She has really decided to leave?" Minerva asked as the door closed behind them.

"Can you blame her?" Filius replied "Her best friend is dead, her girlfriend is dead and she doesn't trust anyone in the school" He paused "Would you want to stay here if you were her?"

xoxox

Two days later, the country woke up to another headline in The Daily Prophet.

**LUNA LOVEGOOD FLEES BRITAIN**

_What does she have to hide?_

xoxox

Augusta Longbottom looked at the envelope that had arrived, then stood up and walked to the door of her study and pulled it open.

"Neville? Could you come in here please?" She returned to her chair and sat down, and a minute later her grandson walked into the room.

"You called, Gran?"

"There is a letter from Hogwarts for you" She said, gesturing to the table "My apologies, Neville, but I picked it up and judging from the weight I think it contains a badge"

"A badge?" Neville arched his eyebrows, then he leaned down and picked up the envelope then opened it up. He read through it, then pulled the badge out.

"Neville?" Augusta looked at him.

"The Headmaster would like me to be one of the two Gryffindor prefects" He said.

"Quite an honour" She said.

"One I don't want" He dropped the badge on the table in front of her "Gran - I know that I may not always have lived up to the future you wanted for me, or to my parents' legacy, and that being a prefect might be a way to make up for some of that" He glanced at the badge "But I will not take a badge that should have been Harry's or Hermione's - it is just wrong"

"Frank and Alice wouldn't have taken it either" Augusta replied.

"Then you won't mind if I send it back?" He asked.

"I would be proud if you did"

xoxox

Minerva stared at the letter, then added it to a pile of five others.

"This is starting to get serious" She said to herself. In the past two weeks she had sent out letters to Neville, Ron, Dean, Lavender and Parvati and they had all returned them saying they did not wish to be the fifth year for prefects.

And this morning Seamus had returned the prefect's badge as well - the last of the fifth year boys, which left her without any options. There were two more girls, but she had a feeling that neither of them were going to accept the badge either.

She glanced at the pile of letters, then she stood up and walked out of her office.

xoxox

Ten minutes later, she arrived at the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office.

"Is he in?" She asked, then the stone steps rotated and moved down. She slowly walked up them, and pushed the door open at the top and walked inside.

"Minerva" He smiled "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"There won't be any new Gryffindor prefects this year" She said calmly "I have offered the badges to every boy, and every girl, and they have all refused to take them" Albus arched his eyebrows.

"Might I ask the reasons they gave?" He said after a few seconds.

"They all said that they wanted to concentrate on their studies - that since this was the year they were doing their OWLs they felt it was more important they apply themselves to that than riding herd over the carnal desires of their fellow students" Minerva replied.

"They all said that?" He looked at her in surprise.

"Word for word" She nodded.

"Even Mister Weasley?"

"Even Mister Weasley" 

"Very well" He stood up "Since the fifth years have decided to abdicate their duty, I would appreciate it if you could approach two more sixth years to serve as extra prefects"

"I will see to it, Albus" She nodded "What about the fifth years?"

"If they wish to concentrate on their studies, there is very little we can do" He said "However if you could reply to them and remind them that being Head Boy or Head Girl is contingent on being a prefect, I would also be most grateful"

"I will see to that as well, Headmaster" She turned and walked out of the office. As she walked down the stairs to the landing, she glanced up to the room she had just left.

"You are getting less subtle in your old age, Albus"

xoxox

Augusta looked at the letter Neville had handed to her.

"He is getting less subtle in his old age" She remarked.

xoxox

The next morning, three teenagers and an adult walked up the road to a former convent building in the south of France.

"Wow" The first - a young woman with red hair and shining blue eyes - said "This is...... this is just amazing"

"Thank you" A tall woman strode down the steps from the main doors and came to a halt in front of them.

"My word, you're very tall" The second teenager - a boy with silver hair and light hazel eyes - stared up at her "I mean - really, really tall"

"I am aware of that, young man" She said.

"No - I mean, you're really very tall" He said.

"I think she knows that, Jayce" The third teenager pointed out - a young woman with long blonde hair and red eyes that sparkled with amusement. Jayce looked at her, then back at the woman who had come to greet them.

"Sorry" He said "I've just never met anyone as tall as you" He paused "Sorry"

"That is fine, Mister McConnell" She said "My name is Madame Olympe Maxime, and I am the Headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy for Exceptional Young Witches and Wizards" She paused "We generally just refer to it as Beauxbatons, because otherwise it takes forever to say"

"I can see that" The adult said "My name is Carstairs McConnell, and these are my children" He paused "My son and daughter - Jayce and River McConnell - and my adopted daughter Francis Jones"

"Mister McConnell" Olympe gave a polite nod "Jayce, River, Francis"

"Headmistress" The three students nodded in return.

"So I understand you have transferred here from Canada?" She asked.

"Yes, Madame Maxime" Carstairs said "There was a......... magical accident and my wife, and Francis' parents were all killed" He paused "We couldn't stay there any more - there were just too many memories that were too fresh, so we arranged to move here and the children transferred from The Northern Wilderness School to here - thank you for helping with that"

"Always a pleasure to gain new students, although I'm sorry for your loss" She replied sympathetically.

"Thank you" Carstairs smiled "We all hope that by making a new start here we can honour their memories, and move on with our lives"

"Well - we will do our best to help you with that" Olympe smiled "So - if you'd like to come with me, I can show you to your dorms and get you settled in. Then - when you're ready, I can introduce you to some of the other students, especially those who will be in your year"

"Okay" He nodded, then glanced at the three children, all of whom nodded back "However if we could go to your office first, there is something we need to discuss with you - something private and confidential" Olympe stared at them for a moment, then nodded.

"Very well - if you'd like to follow me"

xoxox

"So - what would you like to discuss?" She asked, sitting down behind her desk ten minutes later. 

"Madame Maxime - what we're about to tell you is, for want of a better phrase, top secret" Francis said "You can't tell anyone else, because if you do we will get in a lot of trouble and we will almost certainly have to leave Beauxbatons and move on" Olympe looked at each of them in turn.

"If you have done anything criminal....."

"It's nothing like that" River interrupted her "We are not going to ask you to cover up any criminal activity, nor are we going to ask you to hide any wanted criminals" She smiled "We would never put you in that position - not without warning you in advance"

"Very well" She nodded "However I do reserve the right to take whatever action I see fit if I believe that Beauxbatons will be in danger"

"We understand" Jayce said "And we will not hold it against you if you do"

"So - what do you want to tell me?" Olympe asked. Francis looked at the other two, and they both nodded.

"Madame Maxime - do you know happened in Britain recently? With the trial of Hermione Granger?"

"I do" Olympe nodded "That cretin of a Minister - I cannot believe he put an innocent girl on trial just because he made a deal with that fool of a Headmaster" The three students stared at her.

"Well - this should be easier than we thought" Jayce said. River smirked. Francis glared at them, then looked back at Olympe.

"So you believe they're innocent? That Harry Potter and Hermione Granger weren't guilty of the crimes they've been convicted of?" She asked.

"Of course not" Olympe shook her head "Have you heard of Fleur Delacour?"

"The Tri-Wizard Champion?" River asked.

"Harry saved her sister, and after spending a year in the same school she said he was one of the most honourable men - boys - she had met" Olympe said firmly "He would never use an unforgivable curse on anyone, let alone on someone who couldn't fight back - and he would never consider allowing Hermione to do it either" She shook her head "They were both good people - good, decent people and the idea they would do anything that bad isn't even worth contemplating" She paused, then looked up at Francis "Why? What does this have to do with you?"

"It's kind of what we want to talk to you about" Francis said, then she, River and Jayce drew their wands, as did Carstairs.

"Because, you see, while we have transferred from Canada, we actually transferred to Canada from somewhere else first" She said, then they all waved their wands, cancelling the glamours they were wearing. A moment later, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood and her father stood in front of the Headmistress, who stared back at them.

"We need you to protect our identities" Hermione said "Because if the world finds out we're alive, we will never get a moment's peace" Olympe stared at them for a few more seconds, then smiled.

"Francis, Jayce, River - welcome to Beauxbatons"


	11. Before The Fall

After they reconjured their glamours, Olympe stood up and walked round from behind her desk.

"As of two days ago, you are all officially French citizens, and have committed no crimes on French soil" She paused "You haven't committed any crimes on French soil, right?"

"Not that we know of" Jayce said with a smile "Although since we've only just arrived we aren't entirely familiar with all of French law" Olympe smiled.

"Not the ringing endorsement I was hoping for, but better than nothing" She said, still smiling "Since you are French citizens, the British Ministry has no claim on you, and since were formally Canadian citizens they will have no way of tracing you or working out who you really are" She looked at Carstairs.

"Would you like to stay with your children, and look round the school?" She asked.

"Thank you, but I have to go to my new house and set it up" He turned, and gave each of the kids a kiss "I'll see you all at Christmas, my darlings, and until then if you can't be good, at least be careful" He looked back at the Headmistress "Look after them? They are all I have left"

"I promise" She nodded.

"Then I will see you all at Christmas" He said, then turned and walked out of the office. Olympe turned back to the students.

"So - where would you like to start?"

xoxox

"And this....." Olympe pushed open a pair of double doors "..... is the library" The three students walked in, and almost at once came to a halt.

"So we've probably lost Francis for the rest of the day" River said, watching as her girlfriend stared around the vast, almost cavernous room.

"She reads a lot?" Olympe asked.

"Just a bit, yeah" Jayce smiled "I think this, and River's arms, are her two happy places"

"I can hear you, you know" Francis said.

"We know" Jayce and River replied in unison, making Francis stick out her tongue and blow a raspberry.

"Well, Miss Jones, you can come back here as often as you want, but for now we have other places to see" Olympe paused "Although I will recommend a small alcove up in the back corner - it was always my favourite place to hide away and read"

"Thank you, Headmistress" Francis said, still gazing around.

"Now come along, dear" River said, taking her hand and pulling her slowly out of the library "We can't stay here all day - things to see, people to do"

"Promises, promises" Francis waggles her eyebrows, then they all turned and walked out after Olympe.

xoxox

"Minister Fudge, I object to this in the strongest terms" Albus stood in front of Cornelius' desk, hands clasped behind his back "The Ministry is not permitted to interfere at Hogwarts unless there are exceptional circumstances"

"You have allowed two of your students to become involved in dark magic, Albus" Cornelius said "And those two children are now dead. I believe it is time for The Ministry to take a firmer hand in what is going on at Hogwarts"

"Now, now, Cornelius - we are both aware of the circumstances around what happened......" Albus started, but The Minister raised his hand.

"Are we?" He asked "Are you going to stand in front of the public and tell them that you were prepared to send an innocent girl to prison?" He shook his head "However that's not all I am talking about" He held up a file on his desk "Professor Quirrell - missing, presumed dead following the debacle with The Philosopher's Stone. Gilderoy Lockhart - obliviated himself after trying to attack two twelve year old boys. Remus Lupin - a werewolf. Bartemius Crouch Junior - convicted Death Eater who kidnapped two of your students and had one of them murdered" He put the file down.

"Headmaster - it is becoming apparent that your choices for Defence Against The Dark Arts Teacher have been questionable at best, and appalling at worst" He stared at him "I am willing to let you remain as Headmaster, and to leave you in charge of the day to day management of Hogwarts, however it is time for someone from The Ministry to observe what is going on - to review and to report back on the failings of your management"

"So I am to be reviewed" Albus said "And if I fail?"

"For the moment it will simply be a review, Albus" Cornelius replied "And if Hogwarts is run to a suitable standard, there will be no need to take action"

"And if there is?" Albus arched an eyebrow.

"How about we leave that until the circumstance arises?" Cornelius said smoothly. Albus stared down at him, then sighed.

"So who is my school to be graced with?" He asked.

"I have a woman in mind. She got a NEWT in Defence, and has a good record at The Ministry" Cornelius smiled. Albus looked at him sceptically.

"What is her name, Cornelius?"

xoxox

"And this is the grand hall" Olympe said as they walked through a huge pair of double doors into an equally huge hall "It is where we have our meals, our school meetings, our weekly corporal punishment sessions and our volleyball tournaments"

"You're kidding right?" River asked.

"Of course" Olympe nodded "We banned corporal punishment nearly a century ago" They all turned to look at her "A vote of the school board decided it was cruel and unusual. Now students who are found wanting are made to write an essay on one of historical monuments - fully researched and annotated" She smiled "I am fairly sure some of our students would prefer the corporal punishment"

"You don't have a points system here? Or Houses?"

"Not exactly, no" Olympe shook her head "If you'd like to sit down, I will take you through it before your classmates arrive - it's nearly lunch so it seems like a good time" They walked over to the nearest table and took their seats while Olympe sat down on the opposite bench.

"There are seven years with two further years if you want to extend your studies - however they're not part of our general discipline system" She said "We have five.... Houses I would guess you would call them, although we call them Divisions"

"Divisions?"

"It's not an exact translation" Olympe continued "They're named after five landmarks in Paris - Notre Dame, The Eiffel Tower, The Sacre Coeur, The Arc de Triomphe and The Rue de Villette" Francis quirked an eyebrow.

"That's a landmark?" She asked in surprise.

"One of our former Headmistresses was on the barricade" Olympe said with a slight smile "She felt that - even though the revolution may have failed - it was worth our students remembering that fighting, even dying, for something you truly believe in was a lesson worth learning"

"We are hardly in a place to disagree" Francis replied with a respectful nod.

"All of our students are assigned into one of our divisions, and for all their good works - be them academics, athletic or otherwise - they gain points for their division" Olympe smiled "At the end of the year, the division with the most points gains The Beauxbatons' Cup"

"What if someone misbehaves?" Jayce asked.

"They have to write an essay, or serve a detention, or some other punishment" Olympe said "Your achievements are group achievements, but your failures are your own - a first year can't destroy the good work of an entire year by doing something idiotic, or something they don't realise is a stupid thing" She paused "We try to encourage good behaviour by encouraging good behaviour - not by punishing bad"

"That seems....... a really good idea" River said.

"Thank you" Olympe smiled, then she glanced at the double doors "Before you new classmates arrive I can make you an offer - if you all want to be in the same division, I can assign you to one now" She paused "Otherwise I can let you take part in the ceremony after our new intake" River looked at her brother, then her girlfriend. They both nodded.

"I think we will take part in the ceremony, if that is alright with you, Headmistress" She said.

"I will add you to the list" Olympe nodded, then there were a number of voices from outside "And now - your new classmates"

xoxox

Neville nodded to his grandmother, then pushed the door closed and turned to face the group assembled in his drawing room - the rest of the Gryffindor students who would be joining him in the fifth year.

"Thank you for coming" He said "I realise that you've all got things to do, but Gran heard some news from The Ministry that I thought you should all hear, because I think it's going to have a big impact on us in the coming year"

"Is this about our new Defence Teacher?" Ron asked, and Neville nodded.

"Your dad heard too?" He asked.

"Just a rumour" Ron admitted "But a pretty persistent one"

"Would one of you like to tell us what's going on?" Lavender asked, looking at Ron and Neville. The two boys exchanged looks, then Neville turned back to the group.

"According to what my gran has heard - and Ron's father - our new Defence teacher is going to be a Ministry employee named Dolores Umbridge"

"Oh dear" Parvati said.

"But that's not allowed" Seamus added.

"You know who she is?" Ron asked, looking at Parvati.

"She is a..... an odious woman" Parvati said "She uses the phrase half-breed a lot, and I think she'd use the phrase mudblood if she thought she'd get away with it" She shivered "Her grandmother was one of the law-makers who passed the law that you get life in prison for using unforgivable curses on witches and wizards"

"And that's bad because......" Dean asked.

"Because of the other half of that sentence" Lavender looked at her friend "The half that says if you use it on magical creatures, or dark creatures like werewolves or vampires then you don't even face punishment, let alone prison" 

"They went out of their way to ensure they would be free to torture the half-breeds, the magical creatures and the rest of the monsters they thought beneath them" Parvati growled "When the law was passed it applied to muggle born witches and wizards as well - it's only in the last century and a half that they were included in the prohibition"

"Really?" Seamus asked in surprise.

"Really" Parvati nodded "And if Umbridge had her way, I am pretty sure she would remove them from it in a heartbeat"

"And this is the woman that Dumbledore wants to teach us Defence?" Lavender asked "A racist bigot who wants to torture muggle born?"

"From what Dad said it's not his choice" Ron interjected "The Minister picked her, and is forcing Dumbledore to take he over his objections"

"I thought that was against the rules" Seamus said "The Hogwarts Charter...."

"It is, more or less" Neville nodded "The Ministry can't force anyone on Hogwarts unless there is a national emergency"

"But....."

"But if Dumbledore doesn't object - if he doesn't force the issue - then Minister Fudge gets his way" Neville said "And we get a new Defence teacher" He paused "Even if she is a racist, bigoted old hag" He looked around "Harry is dead. Hermione is dead. Luna has moved to Austrailia. Voldemort has returned" He looked at each of them in turn "We have to look after each other, and we have to look after everyone else - especially the muggle born students, both in Gryffindor and the other Houses"

"We owe it to their memory" Ron added "You know they'd want us to"

"So lets make sure we all make it through this year safe and sound" He looked around "For Harry and Hermione"

"For Harry and Hermione" Everyone echoed.

xoxox

Later that night, Jayce, River and Francis walked into the fifth year common room and sat down.

"I like Marius" River said "He seems like he'll be a lot of fun"

"And Fantine" Francis nodded.

"I think she's got a bit of a crush on you" Jayce smirked.

"Which of us?" River asked.

"Both" Jayce said with a laugh, then he looked around before lowering his voice "So I've asked Watu to keep in touch - send us the odd letter now and then" He paused "He is playing the part of being on the outs with his family - staying loyal to The Minister and Ministry - so he'll keep us informed of what's going on" He fell silent as more students came in.

"You should get some sleep" One of the students - a girl named Eponine - called out "If you're going to be placed in your division tomorrow you should be well prepared"

"Indeed" Fantine walked over to them, then looked at River "Perhaps we'll end up in the same one?" Jayce snorted in amusement, then dodged out of the way as River aimed a kick at his leg.

xoxox

"Is that......." Jayce stared up the length of the grand hall at the angelic like figure stood at the centre of the staff table at the top of the hall.

"Fleur Delacour" Eponine nodded "The Tri-Wizard Champion" She smiled "She is now the Head Girl - Senior Student of The Eighth Year"

"And she is in charge of placing people in their Division?" Francis asked.

"Sort of" Fantine said "She calls out the names of the students, who must then go up to be judged" She gestured to the five symbols above the staff table "The judgement then takes place......... but I will let you find that out for yourself"

"JAYCE MCCONNELL" Fleur called out, making Jayce jump in his seat. He turned, then he got up from the bench and walked to the front of the hall and came to a halt in front of her.

"Jayce McConnell?" She asked, and he nodded "Have we met before?"

"I don't think so" He said "I am sure I would have remembered meeting a Tri-Wizard Champion" She turned slightly pink.

"Well, Mister McConnell - on behalf of the student body, welcome to Beauxbatons. If you would like to stand in front of each of the Divisions Badges in turn, we will find out where you will be spending the rest of your time in this school"

"Do they have any special significance?" He asked "I mean - is there one for wit, one for japery, one for knavery and so forth?" Fleur smiled.

"You are the first person to ask that in a while" She said with an amused grin "However I think I will tell you after every student has been judge, if that is okay with you" Jayce laughed.

"Do I actually have a choice?" He said "I mean - if I say no, and demand you tell me, will you give in?"

"No" She admitted, shaking her head "Now - if you could proceed, because you are holding up everybody's breakfast" Jayce looked around and realised everyone was staring at him.

"My apologies" He gave an apologetic bow, then he turned and stood in front of the shield with an image of Notre Dame on. Then Sacre Coeur. Then The Eiffel Tower. Then The Arc de Triomphe. And finally The Rue de Vilette. Then he walked back and stood in front of Fleur.

"Mister McConnell, from henceforth you will be in The Division de Notre Dame" A large number of students burst into applause, including Eponine and Marius.

"Thank you, Miss Delacour" He gave a bow, then he returned to his seat.

"MISS FRANCIS JONES" Francis gave him a grin, then walked up to the front, and gave her a polite nod.

"You are Miss Francis Jones?"

"I am" She nodded.

"Then please present yourself to the tokens and prepare to be judged for your division" Fleur smiled. Francis turned and walked in front of each shield in turn, then returned to stand in front of Fleur.

"Miss Jones - from henceforth you will be in The Division de La Arc de Triomphe" Fleur announced, and there was another burst of applause.

"Thank you" Francis' bowed, then returned to her seat. 

"MISS RIVER MCCONNELL" River bounded up the aisle and smiled.

"You are....."

"Yes" River replied, making Fleur smile.

"I could have been about to ask you anything, you know" 

"I know" River shrugged "But I am really hungry" Fleur laughed.

"Very well - I will make this quick - I wouldn't want you fainting with hunger on your first full day" Fleur turned "Please present yourself to the tokens"

"Yes m'am!" River saluted, then turned and skipped off to stand in front of the first shield, leaving Fleur staring after her with an amused smile. Twenty seconds later, River was back.

"That was....... fast" Fleur said. River leaned over and whispered something in her ear, causing Fleur's eyes to widen. 

"Miss McConnell, from henceforth you will be The Division de La Rue de Villette" She announced and there was a burst of applause - although Jayce noticed Fantine did not join in.

"La Tour Eiffell" Eponine whispered, and he nodded in understanding. River gave Fleur a polite bow, then skipped back down the hall before sitting down next to Francis.

"So three Divisions" Francis said "Guess we can't work together on our homework then?"

"Or we could foster cooperation and unity" River said "Strength through unity and all that" Jayce and Francis both turned to face her.

"Strength through unity?" They both asked in unison "Do you even know where that comes from?"

"I read it in one of J's comics" River replied.

"Graphic novels!" Jayce gave her a good natured frown "And do you even remember which one?"

"You've got so many - how'm I supposed to keep track?" River shrugged.

"This one was about a fascist government that took over Britain and subjugated it until a masked man staged a revolution of sorts" Francis said with an amused smile "Their motto - the fascist government that is - was strength through unity, unity through faith" River stared at her.

"So I probably shouldn't try to get that started here?" She asked after a moment.

"Probably not, no" Francis shook her head.

"Okay" River shrugged "How about 'We live for the one, we would die for the one, but not today because we have to finish our homework'?" She realised everyone was staring at her "I should just stop, shouldn't I?"

"Maybe" Jayce suggested.

"But it's so much fun!" River pouted at her.

"Then we can carry on later, dear" Francis patted her hand "But for now you should eat your breakfast"

"Yes dear"

xoxox

"Good evening" The fifth years at the end of the Gryffindor table watched suspiciously as a prim woman, dressed from head to toe in pink, walked round to the front of the staff table and positioned herself behind the podium Albus had just vacated.

"My name is Dolores Umbridge, and I am your new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher" She said in high pitched, almost childish voice "I was asked to come here by The Minister of Magic himself" She paused, looking around the room "I was asked to come here because there is something very wrong with this country, and The Minister believes it is time for him to put it right. To remind those who would question our traditions and our values just where their loyalty and their values should lay. To remind those who would question The Ministry that they put not only our country but our future in peril. To remind those who would question our courts - our very legal system - that they are questioning the foundations of our society and threatening our very existence" She took a deep breath.

"We live in a society - a country - of justice, of law and of order. We live in a society - a country - where The Ministry ensures your safety, and ensures you can live your day to day life" She smiled "To question The Ministry is to question whether you want to live in this society, and to question everything about our country. Something, I believe you would agree, no loyal and decent member of society would want to do" She looked down towards the far end of the Gryffindor table.

"In recent months we have seen two of our best and brightest fall, so it is important to remember this can happen to anyone. To remember that anyone, no matter how heroic, how bright, how good or how inspirational, can fall to the darkness and become the enemy. You must always be on your guard - always vigilant. You must listen to The Minister, to The Ministry and you must remember to stay loyal to the society that made you what you are" She smiled "Thank you" There was a smattering of applause - notably from the Slytherin table - and she returned to her seat.

As Albus returned to the podium, Neville turned to his fellow Gryffindors.

"So - I think we need to talk" He said.

xoxox

_Dear Gilbert,_

_St Claire;s has a new history teacher. She dresses in pink, and works part time for Redroofs Academy. The twins are not big fans of hers, and believe that she is going to shake things up a lot - the Second Form are already worried about her and what her impact will be. Her welcoming speech to the new first form was not all that welcoming - it turned out it was quite disturbing._

_Redroofs Academy hasn't changed all that much since our last letter, however the Headmaster is definitely cahoots with the new history teacher, and I am very convinced that this will end badly._

_The Head of St Claire's appears to be going along with this for now, although it is not clear how much choice Miss Theobald was given. And as goes Miss T so goes the rest of her staff. However if the new history teacher gets more militant then I believe Miss T will become more resistant and then - then I am not sure what will happen, but I am fairly certain it will not end well._

_I don't know when I'll write again - it will depend when there is something to write about._

_Your friend,  
Diana_

xoxox

The Gryffindors walked into their first Defence Against The Dark Arts class, and sat down on the first three benches. A few moments later, Dolores Umbridge walked down the steps from the office and stood at the front of the class.

"Good morning, class" She said. When there was no response, she cleared her throat.

"Good morning class" She repeated.

"Good morning, Professor" Came the muted response.

"That's better" She smiled "Manners cost nothing after all" She looked around "I'm here because the standard of teaching in this subject has been judged to be below what is required, and I have been asked to make it a lot better - which given your previous teachers in this subject is hardly going to be a challenge" She folded her hands behind her back "Please take out your textbooks and open them at page one"

"Professor?" Lavender raised her hand.

"Miss Brown?" Dolores turned to face her.

"There is nothing in these textbooks about defending ourselves" Lavender said calmly. 

"Why would you need to defend yourself?" Dolores asked in surprise.

**(flashback)**

"We have our first Defence class with Umbridge tomorrow" Ron said, looking around the Gryffindors gathered in the common room "And from what she said in her........ speech, it's clear that she is going to be confrontational - especially with us"

"And the question we want to put to the group is do we take the bait?" Neville asked "Do we let her rile us up about what happened to Harry and Hermione? Or do we keep quiet, and make a stand when there is something to stand for?"

"If we give in to them, aren't we admitting they are right?" Lavender said.

"If we stand up to them now, aren't we just behaving like spoilt brats?" Parvati replied "Aren't we doing what they're expecting us to do?" 

"What do you mean?" Dean looked at her.

"The Ministry have forced Umbridge on Hogwarts" Parvati said "Dumbledore would never accept someone like her to teach here - not unless he had to" She looked at Neville, who nodded "So The Ministry are pushing their luck - pushing the limits to see who responds" She shrugged "Lets not respond, and see what they do" Ron smiled.

"It will annoy them" He admitted "And it might make them show us what they want a lot faster" He looked around "All in favour?"

**(end flashback)**

"Well - there are sometimes dark creatures out and about" Lavender said in an innocent voice "I think I read about a vampire attack seven years ago, and wasn't there a hinkypunk swarm in the early eighties?" Dolores stared at her for a moment, then gave her a patronising smile.

"That is what The Ministry is for, Miss Brow" She said in an equally patronising voice "The DMLE will protect you against all the dark creatures - there's no need to worry" She turned and walked to the centre of the front of the classroom.

"So, if there are no more questions, we'll begin....."

xoxox

The next three months went by, and Jayce, River and Francis adjusted to their new life at a new school - working with their new friends in their Divisions, going to new lessons and receiving the odd letters from their friend back home.

Before they knew what was happening, it was coming up to Christmas.

"I've never been away from my parents for Christmas before" Francis and River were walking through the snow covered grounds. River occasionally stopped and swept up some snow in her hands, then threw the resulting snow ball against the nearest tree or stone.

"I know" River said, throwing the snowball she was holding in an arc into the branches of the tree "And I promise that Daddy, Jayce and I will endeavour to give you as happy a Christmas as possible, given the circumstances" She slipped her hand into Francis'

"OOOOOOOO! COLD HAND! COLD HAND! COLD HAND!" Francis winced, pulling her hand out of River's almost at once. River gave her an apologetic smile.

"Hold on" She rubbed her hands together, then blew on them a few times. She held out her hand, and Francis touched it.

"Better" Francis nodded, then took it "And don't do that again! It's bad enough when you get into bed with cold feet!" They continued walking, hand "Do you think we could get to them? Without anyone noticing?"

"No one paid attention to me and Daddy leaving because it made sense" River dropped her voice to almost a whisper "Once Hermione and Harry had died, it made no sense for Luna to stay, and Xeno would take her to another country" She paused "But your parents..... if they left as well, then I think someone would notice and start to ask questions" She squeezed Francis' hand.

"I know it's hard, my sweet, but at least they are safe" She continued "The Ministry isn't going after them - they are perfectly safe"

"I just miss them" Francis said wistfully, then she smiled "But Christmas in France - we can go to Paris. Watch the new year from the top of The Eiffel Tower. So I suppose it's not all bad"

"See - you can always find the bright side if you try hard enough" River grinned, then they both started walking again. 

"Francis! River!" They both turned as they saw Jayce running across the ground towards them. He ran up to them, skidded to a halt, fell over and then got up.

"Are you alright?" River asked as he dusted himself off.

"Yes" He replied "No" He paused "I don't know"

"Well - that should cover it" Francis said, then she walked round behind him and dusted the snow off his bottom "So what's wrong?"

"Not here" He said "I know you had your hearts set on a romantic walk in the snow, but you have to come with me, now"

"Yes, brother dear" River rolled her eyes, and - as Jayce turned and walked back towards the school - they exchanged amused glances and followed him.

xoxox

Twenty minutes later, they walked into River and Francis' dorm, and while the two girls walked over to the bed Jayce turned and sealed the door. 

"Are you going to tell us what's going on?" River asked "Because you have been bounding about like a cat on an electricity plate"

"Arthur Weasley is dead" He said, turning to face them. River and Francis stared at him.

"Pardon me?" Francis said.

"Diana wrote to me - I just received the letter about ten minutes ago and had to re-read it twice to make sure I understood it" He pulled out a folded piece of parchment from his robes "Last night, Arthur Weasley was found dead in The Ministry. No one knows how he got there, and it's not entire clear how he died - apart from one thing" He unfolded the paper and glanced at it "He died bloody"

"Oh god" Francis closed her eyes "Do you think it was......"

"Where was he?" River asked.

"Somewhere called The Hall of Prophecies" Jayce replied "I've never heard of it" He paused "But I've never heard of most of The Ministry, to be honest"

"The Hall of Prophecies is where predictions and prophecies and so on live" River said, bounding up off the bed and pacing back and forth "Remember what The Headmaster said about why he was willing to sacrifice Francis? To protect you?" Jayce stared at her.

"Trelawney's prophecy?" He asked.

"If it is still considered active, it will be in there" She nodded.

"And Arthur?" Jayce frowned.

"A guard?" Francis suggested "Miss Theobold put him there to prevent The Cloaked One getting his hands on Trelawney's prophecy" She paused "And if The Cloaked One sent an agent or two to get it....." She trailed off "The stupid, stupid bastard" She sighed "Poor Diana"

"Do the rest of the Barrys know?" River asked.

"Theobald told them - they are not happy with him. But they haven't been happy with him since Harry and Hermione died and this, I think, was the last straw" Jayce said "Whatever faint hope Theobald might have had of getting them back onside has vanished now - The Barrys are done with him"

"So I guess something good's come out of this" Francis said quietly "Is there any other fallout from this?"

"Unfortunately, yes" Jayce sighed "The Daily Prophet has published a story saying that Arthur Weasley was a criminal - a terrorist who had broken in to The Ministry to start a rebellion" He closed his eyes "They suggested he was in league with Sirius Black, and Barty Crouch Junior - that it had been he who was aiding them in secret during the past two years"

"And Theobold had nothing to say about this?" River asked in surprise "He didn't see fit to comment on it?"

"It only came out this morning" Jayce shrugged "I suppose there's the possibility he could come out in defence of Arthur, but Diana isn't holding her breath" He shook his head "She also fears there will be further reaction from The Ministry - that they will interfere at St Claire's. That the new history teacher will rip the place apart, that the Barrys are going to suffer and that things are only going to get worse"

"And there's nothing we can do" Francis said as River came back and sat next to her.

"Not unless you want to open up The Green Gables Gazette again" Jayce smirked, and both Francis and River threw a pillow at him, causing him to laugh.

"No" He said, after he picked up the pillows and gently chucked them back "There's nothing we can do" He paused "We can't even write back and express our condolences, because the letter might be intercepted" He walked over and sat down next to Francis.

"So........" He paused "Happy Christmas"

xoxox

_Dear Anne,_

_I think we are seeing the start of the fall of night. It's been a month since Arthur Weasley was found dead, and subsequently declared a terrorist and a rogue Death Eater._

_The Daily Prophet has written stories nearly every day - linking Arthur to Sirius, suggesting Sirius has been responsible for further attacks, linking Sirius to Barty Crouch Junior and all three of them to the murder of Cedric._

_There are also stories about Harry Potter and Hermione Granger and these three - suggesting that Sirius had corrupted Harry, and Arthur had corrupted Hermione. Which is what lead them to torture the two muggles._

_However that is not the reason I am writing to you today._

_The history teacher at St Claire's has been appointed Ofstead Inspector for The School. This gives her virtually unlimited power to do whatever she sees fit. To fire staff, to discipline pupils - to even replace Miss Theobold if she sees fit and can get the backing from Redroofs to do it._

_There is a bigger plot afoot. Something I can't see yet, although I suspect The Cloaked One is either behind it, or at the very least causing mayhem._

_Now here is the thing - if we are approaching the fall of night, and the oncoming storm is about to make landfall, then I think we should possibly start discussing future plans. Since you are now outside the reach of Redroofs, and The Cloaked One, you are in a perfect position to potentially break the storm once it has..... broken._

_So imagery isn't my forte. Sorry._

_My next letter will contain a place you can respond, because if we're going to break the oncoming storm there is a chance we might need to talk._

_Until then, I remain your obedient friend,  
Diana._

xoxox

"Do you think we should do it?"

"I think we should"

"Do you think we can?"

"I don't know....... but I can't wait to find out"

xoxox

**AZKABAN BROKEN**

_MASS PRISONER ESCAPE_

_MINISTRY OF MAGIC BLAMES SIRIUS BLACK, AIDED BY ROGUE TERRORIST SYMPATHISERS ARTHUR WEASLEY AND BARTEMIUS CROUCH JUNIOR_

_In a terrifying development last night, Azkaban Prison was broken open, and a dozen of You Know Who's most loyal - and deadly - supporters escaped._

_Ministry sources refused to comment on the record as to who they think was responsible, however in off the record comments, a number of high placed officials suggested that this was the work of Sirius Black, who had gained inside knowledge of the prison from his time there as well as assistance from former Ministry (and DMLE staff member) Arthur Weasley and former prisoner Bartemius Crouch Junior._

_"There is a great deal of evidence that points towards this being an inside job" One Ministry official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity "That whoever lead the raid against the prison knew what they were doing - it was precise and very well executed. Not the kind of thing that could be done with a great deal of information as to the layout and organisation"_

_Now that a dozen or so of the most dangerous and terrifying witches and wizards in our world are on the loose again, we here at The Prophet suggest everybody take care. And that The Ministry double and redouble their episodes to not only capture these escaped lunatics but the mastermind behind their escape._

xoxox 

_Dear Ruby,_

_St Claire's is fighting back. They have started a group - a drama group - in the name of one of the fallen. To learn the dramatic arts, and to take on The Cloaked One and his flying monkeys. They have decided that, given the prison has been broke, and the monkeys are loose, they will start this drama group in the name of a Shakespearean Princess. It might end up being a Pyrrhic victory, but they will do their best to protect their own and the ones who need help the most._

_Needless to say, Ofstead knows nothing off this, and if she did there would be trouble. The drama group would be shut down and our would-be thespians would face expulsion and potential arrest or banishment._

_Which means I think we should, possibly, bring any discussions about breaking the storm forward. Because while I know you want nothing to do with this world any more, I suspect that in the near future, there will be people who need your help. And if darkness falls, and the oncoming storm hits early, we will need to get some people out of here._

_Please consider it._

_Your friend,  
Diana._

xoxox 

Francis leaned back against the tree, then looked at her friends. It was two months after the breakout from Azkaban - five months since Arthur had died in The Ministry - and they knew things were getting worse in Britain, but were still discussing what, if anything, they could do about it.

"I had an idea" She said "About Diana's suggestion" 

"We can't write back to her" Jayce, who was lying on his front and reading a French history book, looked up at her "If we're this close to the fall of night, then writing back will put all of us in danger - both us and Diana" 

"I know" Francis sighed "But I had an idea about the other part" She gestured to a book that was lying on the grass next to her. Jayce and River looked at it, then looked up at her. 

"Really?" River asked "You want to do that?" 

"We've been doing it for nearly a year" Francis pointed out "We could create three more identities, and maybe with a bit of help from the Headmistress, we could find a way to get over there and back again" She paused "We bring people back here, we give them limited protection until they decide what they want to do" 

"Do you really think we can?"" Jayce rolled on to his back and stared up at the sky "It could be dangerous" 

"More dangerous than the drama club? More dangerous than our friends risking their lives to do what is right?" River poked him in the side. 

"But how can we organise this?" Jayce rolled back on to his stomach to look at Francis "If we can't write to Diana, how are we going to let her know we have a plan?" 

"Maybe I can help with that?" They all looked round to see a figure walking out of the trees towards them "Because I think I have some skills that might be of use" 

xoxox 

_Dear Gilbert,_

_The first epistle from The Angel reached me this morning. Using the dark bag was a truly inspired method, and I congratulate whoever thought of it. The Headmaster of Redroofs has approved my transfer to the department of education, and from there I should be able to be of more help - I will see most dark bag communications before they are passed to the rest of the staff._

_The introduction of the Angels and ArcAngels is also helpful - having friends in the choir will be useful if it comes to a battle. And I believe your idea for the scarlett robe around the country is doable, and I will be happy to do what I can to weave the robe._

_Until then, I remain your obedient friend,  
Diana_

Jayce looked up from the letter at the amused faces of River and Francis. 

"Do you ever get the feeling he's just making it up as he goes along?" 

xoxox 

Olympe stood up at the end of term dinner, then smiled. 

"Once again, we come to the end of another year......" She started, but almost at once she was cut off as one of her students - arriving late - burst into through the double doors and skidded to a halt. 

"Headmistress....... there's news" She called out. 

"Yes, Miss Barcon?" Olympe stared at her "What's happened?" 

"Lord Voldemort has taken The Ministry, declared himself Minister and executed Minister Fudge" She paused "Britain has fallen" 


	12. The Rise of The Empire

Lucius Malfoy - five days after his induction as Deputy Minister of Magic - walked up the path to Hogwarts, accompanied by two Aurors.

They arrived at the main entrance, and Lucius stared at the door.

"Did you make it clear we were coming?" Lucius asked, and the Auror on his left - Kingsley nodded.

"Yes, Mister Malfoy" Kingsley nodded. Lucius frowned.

"Ring the bell" He said. Kingsley drew his wand, then cast the charm to trigger the alert ward. A sound like a low pitched bell gave a single ring. 

Five minutes later the doors slowly swung open, and Minerva McGonagall walked out into the sunshine.

"Professor McGonagall" Lucius gave a polite smile.

"Lucius" She said.

"Perhaps you are unaware of my new position in the government" He said, his voice growing ever so slightly more firm. 

"Deputy Minister Malfoy" She said, inclining her head slightly. 

"I am here to speak to the Headmaster about the new arrangements for Hogwarts" He said "I also with to speak to Professor Umbridge"

"I will escort you to the Headmaster, Deputy Minister, however The High Inquisitor is currently teaching. I am afraid you will have to wait until she is finished" Minerva replied.

"That is acceptable - I have a lot to discuss with the Headmaster, so I believe Professor Umbridge will be free by the time we are finished" Lucius smiled "Please lead on, Professor McGonagall"

"Of course, Deputy Minister" Minerva glanced at the Aurors "Will your escort be coming with us?"

"Yes" Lucius replied "The Minister's administration is in its early days, and there are those who would oppose our reign, despite the benevolent wishes of The Minister" He paused "He fears for an attempt on my life, so he has asked me keep my protection with me, at least for now"

"I can promise you that Hogwarts is safe, Deputy Minister" Minerva said "We would never be a party to overthrowing the lawful government of magical Britain" She smiled "Now - if you would like to come with me" She turned and lead them into the castle.

xoxox

"Headmaster, may I present The Deputy Minister of Magic - Lucius Malfoy" Minerva said, and Albus slowly rose to his feet as Lucius walked into the office, accompanied by Kingsley and Martha Haim.

"Lucius" Albus nodded, then - at the expression on Minerva's face - added "Deputy Minister"

"Headmaster" Lucius returned the nod "If we might talk? The Minister has a number of things to sort out and has asked me to inform you of them"

"Indeed?" Albus quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes" Lucius walked over and sat down in front of the Headmaster's desk, while Kingsley and Martha took up positions either side of the door, and Minerva walked over to stand behind Albus.

"The Minister wants you to know that Hogwarts will be permitted to continue much as it does now" Lucius said calmly "The Ministry will not interfere in the day to day operation of the school - that is not our job"

"I am gratified to here it" Albus replied.

"Professor Umbridge will stay on, and will remain in her position as High Inquisitor. The Minister and I both feel that she has done a very good job in bringing the standards of the school up over the past year, and that it would be a shame to see them fall again in the coming year" Lucius smiled "But she won't be taking any active steps to interfere with the school, unless such steps become necessary by the actions of other staff or students"

"By which you mean?" Minerva asked.

"We'll see how things go" Lucius said "Neither The Minister nor I wish to commit ourselves at this point" He paused "However there is one last point that we have to discuss" He looked over his shoulder, and both Aurors took two steps forward. Turning back, he looked at Albus again.

"Headmaster - given the history of you and some of your staff, The Minister would like to bring all of your staff in for questioning before the start of the next school year" He said calmly "It will be a simple question and answer session - you will be asked about your current loyalties, and your intentions now that there has been a change of government"

"I can vouch for the loyalties of all my staff, Lucius" Albus said, his voice turning slightly angry "There is no need to drag them into the Ministry for questioning"

"Any member of staff that does not submit themselves for questioning by the 24th of August will be brought in, willing or not" Lucius continued as if he hadn't spoken "So as you can see it would be in all of your best interests if you came in willingly without any problems"

"Lucius......"

"Mister Deputy Minister" Kingsley said from behind him, making Albus look at him in surprise.

"Mister Deputy Minister - I have already said I can vouch for my staff" He said, returning his attention to Lucius "If you wish to invite me to The Ministry, I will come, but I do not see the need to take the rest of my staff in"

"The Minister has made his wishes clear, Headmaster" Lucius said "You can either listen to his wishes, or you can ignore them at your own peril" Albus stared at him.

"I will take it under advisement, Mister Deputy Minister" He said after a few moments "If that is all?"

"It is - thank you" Lucius stood up "As I told Professor McGonagall, I need to speak to Professor Umbridge, and I believe that she will be out of class by now?"

"Yes" Minerva nodded "If you would like me to escort you?"

"I remember the way" Lucius said "There is no need to trouble yourself" He stood up and turned and walked out of the office, followed by the two Aurors. Albus waved his hand, forcing the door to slam shut, then he looked up at his deputy.

"Minerva - I want you to prepare a letter to all the parents of our students" He said in a calm voice "Tell them due to unforeseen circumstances we are closing a week early, and that The Express will be departing this coming Friday. Tell them there is nothing to worry about - their children will be perfectly safe - but that we have to close early" He paused "Do not send it to any child likely to report it to The Ministry"

"Yes, Albus" She nodded "Are we informing the children?"

"No" He shook his head "I want this to be unexpected so no one stops us" He paused "Needless to say I do not think we should inform The High Inquisitor either"

"The thought never occurred" Minerva replied "I will see to it right away"

xoxox

"Professor Umbridge" Lucius smiled "The Minister wanted to congratulate you on the sterling work you have been doing over the past year" Dolores stared at Lucius in surprise, then a look of pride came over her face.

"The Minister...... appreciates my work?" She said "But I have been denying his existence"

"We are aware" Lucius nodded "However The Minister has been deliberately hiding his return to ensure that those who would oppose it did not move against him before he was ready - you have been a great deal of help in that cause" He smiled at her "Now that he as openly declared himself, and the time for such subterfuge is over, he and his loyal followers will have need for such bold thinkers as you" Dolores continued to stare at him in surprise, then she smiled.

"Of course, I will serve The Ministry in whatever way possible" She said "I am nothing if not loyal to The Ministry of Magic"

"And The Minister" Lucius said firmly.

"And The Minister" She said with a nod.

"The Minister and I are worried about some of the staff here, at Hogwarts" Lucius said "They've been members of a vigilante group that have opposed The Minister in the past" He paused "We both believe that they will do so again and that - given the opportunity - they will not hesitate to use Hogwarts as a base to launch an attack against both The Minister and The Ministry" He paused "Treason - a rebellion against the lawful government of magical Britain"

"Traitors - I can't stand traitors" Dolores shook her head.

"We want you to stay on as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher" Lucius said "And as The High Inquisitor"

"If you think that is best" Dolores said, looking slightly crestfallen.

"You will be able to see what the staff are doing, and what the students are doing" Lucius explained "The last rebellion against The Minister was fermented in the school - Dumbledore's order was formed out of the Gryffindors and other students under his tutelage" He paused "We believe that if there is going to be a next rebellion, then it will come from here" He took her hands "You can help us head off this rebellion before it starts - you can prevent the fall of The Ministry and protect The Minister" He smiled "You can save magical Britain"

"Save magical Britain" She said.

"The Minister will be very grateful" He added.

"I'll do it" She said.

"Very well" He smiled "The Minister has instructed all the staff to submit themselves for questioning over the next few weeks, but of course you are exempt from that" He paused "So there is one more thing we will require from you......."

xoxox

Jayce and Francis were sat on a bench in their back garden when River came running out of the house and skidded to a halt in front of them.

She bent over, catching her breath, then straightened up.

"Okay - first thing. If we're going to carry on with the scartlett cloak plan, we really have to get into better shape. I just ran from the front of the house to here, and I feel like I want to collapse in a heap" She said.

"That seems reasonable" Francis said. 

"Second - Minister Duvall is here" River added.

"And you didn't think that was worth mentioning first?" Jayce said, getting to his feet.

"I was really knackered!" River whined, then all three of them turned and walked towards the house.

xoxox

"Minister, may I present my other two children, Jayce McConnell and Francis Jones" Carstairs said as all three children walked into the room.

"Miss Jones, Mister McConnell" Antoinette Duvall nodded "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Minister Antoinette Duvall - First Minister of The Parliament of Mages"

"Very nice to meet you, Minister" Francis said.

"I had an interesting visit from one of my colleagues earlier today" She said "He told me that you had been using him to communicate with a member of The British government, on a plan to potentially commit treason against the said government?" The three children exchanged glances.

"I suppose we should have asked permission first, but we didn't think you'd say yes" River admitted "And it's not like it's a lot of treason"

"I'm not sure treason is something you can grade on a curve, dear" Carstairs said with a slight smile.

"Quite" Antoinette said "However my associate did point out that given the sudden change in government, and the much increased risk to life and limb, especially for the first-born witches and wizards, a little treason can be healthy now and then" She smiled "The Parliament knows nothing of this. There are only two people in the administration who know about this - three if you count The Angel" She paused, then looked at them.

"I don't know why you three are so intent on doing so much good in Britain, and I am not sure I want to know - the more plausible deniability I have, the better it will be for all of us" She smiled "However if - and when - the time comes that you need help, ask your Headmistress, and she will ask me. Olympe and I go way back and I have a lot of faith in her judgement"

"We'll keep that in mind" Francis said, then she blushed "Sorry - I meant to say thank you, we are most grateful" Antoinette laughed.

"I understand your suspicion, Miss Jones, but I promise you I am on your side" She paused, then gave a soft laugh "Do you know how rare it is that I get to say I am on the side of The Angels and actually mean it?" She realised the three teenagers were looking at each other.

"Oh - just an idea" River said "About what we can call ourselves"

xoxox

A week later, Albus addressed the students at breakfast.

"I am very sorry, but due to some unexpected circumstances, Hogwarts is closing. Today" He looked around The Great Hall "Your parents have all been informed, and will be waiting at Platform 9 3/4 when you return this evening. The House Elves have packed up your belongings, and your trunks have been transported to Hogsmeade station"

"You can't do this" Draco stood up "My father will hear about this"

"I am sure he will, Mister Malfoy" Albus said "However Hogwarts will close, and every student will be on The Hogwarts Express by ten o'clock this morning" He gazed calmly at Draco "The owlery is closed, and all external communications are closed - if you wish to tell your father, or anyone else - you will have to wait until you return home" He looked around The Hall again "I suggest you all return to your dorms and pack up any personal belongings, because the castle will be closed at nine am, and if you are still here by then, you will be escorted out by the staff"

"Prefects - escort you students to your common rooms. Return here by nine am" Minerva shouted, then - when no one moved - she added "NOW!"

xoxox

Dolores paced back and forth in her office, occasionally looking at the floo. She knew it was cut off, and that even as High Inquisitor, she couldn't override the Headmaster's control of the wards.

She considered leaving the school, walking down to the village and apparating to The Ministry but she knew by the time she got there the school would be closed and there'd be nothing she could do.

"No" She thought "I will play along. Learn what I can and then report back" 

xoxox

An hour later, Albus watched as the last of the carriages pulled away from the school, then he turned back and walked into the school to find the entire staff waiting for him.

"I closed the school because I felt I couldn't ensure the safety of the students" He said, addressing the staff "The Deputy Minister has requested we all submit ourselves for loyalty interrogations, and that if we do not do so by the last week in August, his master will hunt us down and bring us in" He paused "Given what I believe will happen over the coming weeks, I wanted to prepare Hogwarts and I could not do that while there were students here" He looked at each of them "If you wish to leave I won't stop you, but I fear that you will not be able to return once you go" He walked past them and started up the stairs "You have an hour to decide - after that I am going to begin to revert Hogwarts into its original use. That of a castle"

xoxox

"Wow" Jayce stared out across Paris, then looked at River and Francis who were leaned against the railings, hand in hand, looking down at the river. He smiled fondly at them, then slowly walked round the platform until he was on the other side and stared out across the city. 

"Beautiful, no?" Jayce turned to see two young women stood behind him, staring out over the city as well. 

"It is one of the most beautiful sights I have seen" He admitted.

"You are far away from home" The first young woman said. It wasn't a question, but he found himself nodding.

"I was born in Canada" He replied, turning to look back out over the city "Around thirty seven hundred miles........ that way" He gestured off in one direction, then blinked in surprise as he felt the same woman walked up behind him.

"I think you mean......" She whispered in his ear as she slowly took his hand and turned it around forty degrees north "...... that way" He shivered slightly "I'm Samantha, and this is my friend Sabrina"

"Geography was never my strong point" He said with a laugh, then - she she leaned on the railing next to him, he looked over his shoulder to see the other woman walk along to stand on his other side "So what brings you to Paris? And to the top of The Tower?"

"We have business in the area" Samantha said.

"Anything interesting?" He asked.

"It's not something we can really talk about" She replied "My apologies, but if we told you...."

"Then you'd have to kill me?" He smiled, then - when she didn't respond - his smile faded "Really?" She stared at him for a moment, then laughed.

"No, not really" She admitted "You'd probably just be really bored" He stared at her for a moment, then shook his head.

"Are you one of those crazy people?"

"Oh yes" Sabrina said under her breath, making the Samantha stick her tongue out.

"You just said that because I won the bet" She said.

"You were clearly using a fake duck! I don't know how they didn't see it!" Sabrina said, pouting.

"That's just crazy talk" Samantha said dismissively "Where would I get a fake duck from? It's not like they sell them in one of the souvenir shops on the Champs Elysse for a remarkably small amount" Harry laughed.

"So - what are you doing here?" Sabrina woman asked.

"I'm on holiday with my friends" Jayce replied. The two women looked around.

"These friends......... can you see them?" Samantha asked "Are they here now?" Jayce grinned.

"They're on the other side of the platform" He said "Since we all moved here, they don't get a lot of time together - not.... private time, so I thought I'd let them enjoy Paris on their own"

"That was very kind of you" Samanatha smiled "What about you?"

"I am also enjoying Paris on my own" He replied "Well - aside from your delightful company of course"

"Delightful?" Samantha looked at her friend "I don't think we've ever been called delightful before have we?"

"I don't think so, no" Sabrina tilted her head to one side "Secretive"

"Overly destructive" Samantha added.

"Prone to blowing things up" Sabrina said.

"Talkative" Samantha grinned.

"Melodramatic" Sabrina interjected.

"Confusing" Samantha laughed.

"Likely to give you a headache if you try to follow our conversation" Sabrina finished.

"But never delightful" Samantha shook her head.

"I find that hard to believe" Jayce said "I find you both very delightful"

"Well aren't you charming" Samantha said. 

"Oh he is - he is so very charming" Jayce closed his eyes as he heard his sister's voice from behind him.

"Samantha, Sabrina - might I introduce my sister River and her girlfriend Francis" He said without turning "My invisible, but sadly not imaginary, friends"

"Sabrina" River said with a smile.

"Samantha" Francis added.

"River" Samantha replied.

"Francis" Sabrina smiled "And now we know your names, perhaps you could tell us the name of your brother? He hasn't been that forthcoming" All four of them turned to look at him, but he continued to stare out over the city, even if he turned slightly pink.

"This is my brother, Jayce McConnell" River said "A nice young man, with plenty of prospects and all his own hair" Jayce snorted in amusement, then turned around.

"Thank you River" He said "Remind me to return the favour one day"

"Yes, brother mine" She said, then she looked at the two young women "So what brings you two to Paris, to The Tower and to talk to my brother on such a lovely day?"

"They are apparently secret agents on top secret business" Jayce said before either Samantha or Sabrina could reply "They could tell you, but then they'd have to kill you and I think that would be such a pity" He paused "Although now I am starting to think it might not be all that bad....." Samantha snorted in amusement while Sabrina grinned.

"As we told your brother, we have business in the area" Samantha said, then she glanced at her watch "Business we should perhaps be getting to, Sabrina?" Sabrina stared out over the city, then looked at her friend.

"Perhaps you are right" She replied. 

"It was very nice to meet you, Miss McConnell, Miss Jones, Mister McConnell" Samantha said "And I suppose if the winds are fair, and the skies are right, and the sun is setting in the east, then we may well meet again"

"The sun doesn't set in the east" Francis said. 

"Are you so certain of that?" Sabrina asked "There are more things in heaven and earth......"

"....... than are dreamt of in your philosophy" Francis finished, staring at her in surprise.

"Perhaps you may be able to learn the truth yet" Samantha said "Until then - until the next time" She looked at Sabrina, then the two of them turned and walked away. 

River, Jayce and Francis watched them until the two young women vanished out of sight - disappearing down the steps to the lower viewing platform - then all three of them turned and walked back to the railing and looked back over the city.

"That was weird, right?" Jayce said, staring out towards the cathedral in the distance.

"Oh yes" River nodded.

"And if River thinks something is weird, you know it is weird" Francis said, smiling slightly.

"But there's probably not a lot we can do about it" River continued "Either they're from our world, in which case we're never going to find them if they don't want us to"

"Or they're not part of our world, in which case they're not our business" Francis said.

"So we just let the weirdness go? Even if it could be a threat?" Jayce looked at them.

"It isn't" River said, and Jayce looked at her.

"You're sure?" He asked.

"I'm sure" She nodded "I mean - I don't know who they are, or why they were here, or what their business might be, but they are nothing to do with us and they aren't going to interfere with the scarlett cloak" Jayce looked at Francis, and she nodded as well.

"Okay then" He shrugged "So - what's next?"

xoxox

A week later, Lucius lead a team of Aurors through Hogsmeade and up the road to Hogwarts. 

They came to a halt outside the gates of the school, then stopped as Lucius realised the strength of the wards that had been raised.

He drew his wand, and took a step back. 

"REDUCTO!" He cast his most powerful blasting curse, then watched as it splashed against the wards around the castle like a raindrop falling in a pond. 

"Well - that was disappointing" He said, turning around to face the Aurors "I realise that some have accused me of having an over-inflated sense of my own importance, but I know when I am over-matched" He looked over his shoulder "And while it is possible that The Minister could bring down these wards, I believe that it would take too long for him to do so and that the traitors on the inside would be able to reinforce them before he could"

"So what are we do to, Mister Malfoy?" One of the Aurors asked.

"I want five of you to stay on duty here" He said "The rest of you will return to The Ministry with me. I am going to confer with The Minister on what we're going to do next"

"Yes, Mister Malfoy"

xoxox

Albus stared out over the grounds from the window of his office, then walked back and sat down at his desk.

"Have they gone?" Filius asked, leaning against the door to office.

"There are five Aurors still out there" Albus said "And I have very little doubt that they will be back"

"But the wards held?" 

"The wards held" Albus nodded "They were created by four of the greatest witches and wizards of our history, and have been improved by every successive Headmaster and Headmistress" He smiled "I believe we be safe here a while yet, Filius"

"I hope so, Albus" Filius replied "Because this is a dangerous game you are playing"

"A dangerous game?" Albus arched his eyebrows.

"You could submit yourself for questioning. Our new Minister is still setting up his Ministry - he has some support, but not enough to serious" Filius paused "If he brought every member of staff in and arrested us, put us on trial and threw us in jail, there would be an outcry across the country - he would be risking a rebellion"

"So you would have us turn ourselves in to the most powerful Dark Lord in three generations?" Albus asked.

"Lucius Malfoy will return, Albus, and he will not come with ten Aurors - he will come with an army" Filius paused "I think we will come to regret this day" He turned and walked out of the office before Albus could respond.

xoxox

"Minister, I am afraid we could not return to Hogwarts" Lucius bowed low in front of Voldemort "The Headmaster has raised the wards, and the school is now protected beyond our ability to enter it" He fell silent, waiting for a response.

"It matters not, Lucius" The whispering voice came back after a few moments "If they are so intent in locking themselves up then let them. It will make it easier to find them when we want to" 

"Yes, My Lord" Lucius nodded.

"We also have an opportunity" The voice continued "Find the other members of The Order. Find them, and force them into Hogwarts"

"How, Minister?" Lucius asked.

"That is for you to work out" The voice turned cold "If you are to be worthy of becoming Minister when our plan is complete, then you have to be able to solve the problems we encounter"

"Yes, My Lord" Lucius bowed, then turned and walked out of the office.

xoxox

Sirius Black stared at his cousin, then moved his gaze across to his best friend, then moved it back to his cousin.

"How long has this been going on?" He asked.

"We met around a month ago" Tonks said with a smile, resting her hand on top of Remus' "It kind of started there and carried on" Sirius looked at Remus and frowned.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sirius asked him.

"Because I wanted to see what it was, where it was going" Remus replied, turning his hand over and squeezing Tonks' hand "Something that was made a lot easier without having you poking your nose in and asking us what was going on" Sirius laughed.

"Yeah - I can see that" He admitted "So - what's going on?"

xoxox

Four squads of twenty Aurors walked into Grimmauld Square. Two took up guard positions at the north and south of the square, while the other two walked round the building and lined up in front of the row of houses on the east side.

"We have information that the headquarters is there" Antonin Dolohov said "There is no house between Number Eleven and Number Thirteen" He paused "Charmbreakers - you have thirty minutes"

"Yes, sir" Five mages in blue robes strode forward and drew their wands, then started casting charms.

xoxox

"You know we are grown adults, right?" Remus said, staring at Sirius.

"And I am still the Head of The House of Black" Sirius replied, staring back at him. They continued to stare at each other for a moment, then they both laughed.

"You are both insane, you know that" Tonks said, alternating her gaze between the two of them.

"We know" Remus and Sirius said in unison, both smiling back at her.

"So apart from the fact I don't care, where do you....."

**BOOM**

"..... the hell was that?" She turned as the entire house shook.

"Someone's attacking the wards" Both Remus and Sirius bounded to their feet and ran out into the hall, Tonks following behind them.

**BOOM BOOM**

While Remus ran down the hall into the front room, Tonks and Sirius ran down to the basement and into a room that was usually closed off.

**BOOM**

The building shook again and some plaster fell from the ceiling, on to the glowing stone in the centre of the room - a stone that was glowing noticeably less than it had been when they entered.

"Oh this is bad - this is very bad" Sirius looked around "The wards are getting weaker"

"Are they going to hold?" Tonks asked.

**BOOM CRACK BOOM**

"Are they going to hold, Sirius?" Tonks asked again. Sirius stared at the stone, then turned to face her.

_crash_

"No" He said in a near whisper "They're not"

xoxox

Remus dropped to the floor behind the sofa as twenty Aurors swarmed into the house. He popped up and sent a few blasting, stunning and cutting curses flying across the room and into the hall, cutting down the Aurors as they ran past, but almost at once he realised it was futile. 

xoxox

Sirius and Tonks charged up the stairs the moment the shields fell, then Tonks stood at the top of the stairs to the basement while Sirius crept forward along the hall, and peered round the corner. 

He turned and looked over his shoulder, flashing a quick smile at her, then he drew his wand and looked round the corner.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" 

Tonks bit her lip to stop herself screaming as Sirius was blown backwards and collapsed against the wall. He hung there for a moment, then collapsed - dead - on the floor.

"We have your werewolf" A voice came from the end of the corridor "If you don't want us to torture him to death, throw down your wand and come out" Tonks closed her eyes, feeling the wetness of the tears running down her cheeks.

"Prove he's alive" She called back "Prove he's alive and I'll surrender - otherwise I'll bring this house down on top of all of us and kill you all"

"Do it!" She heard Remus' voice call out "Don't let them take you, Nym!" She let out a long slow breath, then sighed and walked to the end of the corridor before throwing her wand round the corner.

"I'm unarmed, and I'm coming out" She said. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked at Sirius' dead body, then she looked forward, and walked out to meet her fate.

xoxox

**ARCH TRAITOR SIRIUS BLACK KILLED BY MINISTRY FORCES**

For the past five years, our country has live in fear of one man - a man who has been responsible for terrorist acts and multiple murders. But now the world need live in fear of him now longer.

For earlier today our brave Ministry forces, lead by Antonin Dolohov, conducted a raid against his secret hide-out where he and a number of his associates were cowering.

During a pitched battle against overwhelming odds, the rebel hide-out was taken. The Ministry forces suffered no major casualties, and a number of prisoners were taken. 

Then - in a stand off - Sirius Black, the man believed to be responsible for the death of Cedric Diggory, and to have contributed to the deaths of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, was killed after threatening the life of our Minister and of witches and wizards everywhere in a new reign of terror. 

We here at The Prophet congratulate our Aurors for ridding the magical world of this scourge to our society. The members of Auror Squads 3, 10, 14 and 15 will be awarded The Order of Merlin in a ceremony in a week's time.

In the meantime, other members of Sirius Black's organisation have been questioned, and The Ministry expects further arrests to be made within the fortnight.

xoxox

Albus walked through the corridors of Hogwarts before heading out into the grounds. He glanced over at the main gates to see the Aurors still on duty. He gave them a polite nod, then continued through the grounds and up to the owley. 

Entering in, he pulled out over two dozen envelopes.

"I need you to send these out to Order members" He said "You must do this now, and you mustn't be seen" He placed the envelopes down on the central pillar.

"The lives of my friends and my associates depend on this - do not let them or me down" He said, then he turned and walked back through the grounds. 

xoxox

Auror Haim looked up, then frowned as twenty seven owls flew out of Hogwarts and off into the night.

"Should we......" She asked, but Auror Jones simply shook his head.

"It is all going to plan" He said "Let the messages go" He paused "And wait until the old fool returns to his office, then we stand down"

"Pardon me?" Haim stared at him.

"We stand down" Jones said "Orders from The Deputy Minister" He smiled "You can trust me on this"

xoxox

_Dear Ruby,_

_St Claire's has been declared a sanctuary for all those who need it. Several dozen former students and staff members have already fled there, hiding from the Redroofs' recruitment drive._

_I have a terrible, terrible fear that this will all end badly. The new Headmaster of Redroofs is being so passive - just letting all this happen. It isn't like him._

_And now that you have The Owls, and The Angel, ready to help, and the plan for The Scarlett Cloak is almost ready to go, I believe that you should be prepared to get it started at a moment's notice._

_Because this is going to end badly. And when it does, a lot of people are going to need your help._

_Always,  
Diana._

xoxox

Molly looked across the table at her second son, then shook her head.

"I know we have trusted him in the past, and that this letter has gone out to all Order members, but I am afraid my faith in Albus has been waning over the past few years, Charlie" She looked down at the letter again "No - I think we will be better off taking a chance on our own"

"Are you sure, Mum?" Charlie asked "Hogwarts is a castle, after all - we should be well defended"

"I'm sure" She nodded, then smiled "And I know you are all grown up, and can do what you want, but I'd prefer it if you stayed here"

"Of course" He nodded "But you know come September the rest are going to have to go back to school"

"We'll burn that bridge when we come to it" Molly said darkly, then she looked up at him "Have you heard from Bill? Or......"

"Bill is still working away with the goblins" Charlie said "He should be safe for a little while - they've said they're going to remain neutral" 

"At least that's what they say" Molly frowned.

"And Percy......" Charlie looked up into her eyes, and then looked away "According to everything I've heard, he's still serving the government" Molly closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"Where?" She asked.

"The diplomatic corps - part of International Relations" Charlie continued "I haven't been able to find out what he's doing, but if he's serving the government....." He trailed off, then took a deep breath "I knew he was ambitious but I never thought he'd go this far"

"We don't tell the rest of the children" Molly said "If we can keep it from them, we do" Charlie opened his mouth to argue, but she held up her hand "They've already lost their father, and Bill is missing. I won't have them losing their brother as well"

xoxox

"Minister, The Headmaster has moved almost all of The Order members and other traitors into the castle" Lucius said, on one knee in front of Voldemort "There were a few hold outs - it would seem the death of the Potter boy and others have lessened their faith in him"

"How many do we have?" The Minister asked.

"The staff and another twenty five members" Lucius replied "I know it is not everyone we wanted, however I believe it is all we will get"

"Then, my most loyal, let us finish our plan" The Minister smiled "Contact our agents. Let it begin"

"Yes, My Lord" Lucius rose to his feet, then bowed.

xoxox

Albus stared out of the window of his office across the grounds of Hogwarts at the.... army of Aurors stood around the ward boundaries.

They had started gathering around two hours earlier, and the numbers had now increased to nearly a hundred from what he could see. 

"But why?" He asked himself "Surely their previous visits had taught them that they wouldn't be able to get across the wards, let alone enter the castle without permission. So why are they coming here again, and in such numbers?"

"Because we asked them to" A high pitched, simpering voice came from behind him. He blinked as he realised he hadn't noticed anyone had entered his office - something that was surprising in and of itself - but then his mind registered the words.

Turning, he found Dolores Umbridge and Severus Snape stood there, both with their wands in their hands, both pointing them at his heart.

"You?" He asked "You invited Aurors to my school?"

"It is not your school any more, Albus" Severus said quietly.

"Pardon me?" 

"Have you checked your connection to the wards?" Severus asked in a calm voice. Albus looked at him thoughtfully, then he closed his eyes. A moment later, they flashed open again.

"How?"

"A spell that my master taught me" Severus shrugged "As the last true Founder's Heir, he has more knowledge of how the wards were built than most" He paused "I would advise that you come quietly" He gestured to the window "The Aurors are already flooding the school, and making arrests" Albus turned to glance over his shoulder and saw the red robed figures sweeping across the grounds and into the castle.

"And before you harbour any hopes of your phoenix coming to rescue you, I am afraid he is indisposed" Dolores said with a slight smile. Albus took a step towards her, his face burning with anger.

"I haven't harmed him, Albus" She said, taking a step back "I would never be party to such a dark act as that. But you will find it impossible to call upon his aid for a few days, by which time you will be safe in Ministry custody"

"Why?" Albus stared at them "I would have thought you would both be..... adverse to serving Lord Voldemort"

"I serve the legitimate government of Magical Britain" Dolores replied "As should all loyal citizens of our country"

"And you, Severus?" Albus glared at him.

"I serve my master in all things" Severus inclined his head "As I have since the moment I pledged him loyalty. Your wand, please? We do not want to kill you - my master hates to waste life - but we will not hesitate to take steps if necessary" Albus reached inside his robes and extracted his wand with two fingers, then slowly placed it on the chair in front of him before taking two steps back.

"So might I ask what happens now?"

"That will be up to The Minister" Dolores said "Please come with us"

xoxox

Ten minutes later he was escorted out of the castle, and lined up with the rest of the staff, face to face with Lucius Malfoy.

"Minister" Severus gave a polite nod "The castle is now under our control, and all of the traitors have been rounded up" 

"Minister?" Albus looked at Lucius curiously "Something you wish to tell me, Lucius?"

"All will become clear, Mister Dumbledore" Lucius said with a dismissive wave "Take them away - our master wants them processed before nightfall"

"Yes, Minister" The lead Auror nodded.

xoxox

_Dear Gilbert,_

_Hogwarts has fallen._

_Severus is now Headmaster._

_Lucius is now Minister, and Lord Voldemort has declared himself Emperor of New Magical Empire._

_If there was ever a time, it is now._

_I remain in DC, and will serve as I can,  
Diana._


	13. Anagallis Arvensis

In almost a carbon-copy meeting of the year before, Neville closed the door to his drawing room then turned to face the sixth year Gryffindor students. 

"So, here we are again, gathered for purposes both seditious and dark" He said "However this year I think we can all agree that we might be in far more danger than we were last year"

"Are we?" Lavender asked "Or do we just know we are in far more danger?" She looked around "By the end of last year, that Umbridge bitch had virtual run of the school, she had appointed her own..... Hitler youth and a fair number of us knew at any moment we could be arrested and taken in for questioning if we didn't toe the party line"

"She has a point" Ron said "And remember - I haven't seen my oldest brother in six months, and Dad....... whatever they tell you, he wasn't there to try to overthrow The Ministry" He paused "Well - okay, he was, but you know what I mean" There were a few laughs.

"I suppose next you'll be saying he wasn't in league with Sirius Black" Dean rolled his eyes and Ron laughed.

"Just because The Daily Prophet gets somethings right doesn't mean they get somethings right" He said, then he sighed "But Lav-Lav's right - has anything really changed? The Cloaked One is still running the country, Umbridge still has run of the school and we are all still living in danger of being arrested or worse every single day"

"Not any more" Seamus shook his head.

"We're not living in danger of being arrested?" Parvati asked.

"Umbridge isn't running the school any more" Seamus said "My mum heard a rumour before I came here" He fell silent for a moment, then Dean whacked him on the arm.

"Don't keep us in suspense, dingus"

"All the staff were arrested, except Snape" Seamus said "And according to the skipchat around The Ministry, and Diagon Alley, he's now been made Headmaster" This time the silence lasted far more than a moment.

"Snape?" Neville asked.

"Snape?" Parviti echoed.

"Severus Snape?" Lavender stared at Seamus.

"No - Bob Snape" He replied "Yes, of course Severus Snape. Who else do you think I mean?"

"I always knew he was one of them" Ron frowned "Dumbledore said he could be trusted, so did Remus and Sirius - well, not so much Sirius, now that I think about it, but Dumbledore, Remus, Mum, Dad - they all said Snape was on our side but if he's running Hogwarts......" He trailed off.

"Then I'm afraid it gets worse" Seamus continued "Do you know an Auror named Kingsley Shacklebolt?" Ron nodded "He's the new Defence teacher, and Professor Flitwick was apparently questioned and released and will replaced McGonagall as deputy"

"Flitwick?" Neville blinked "No"

"He was never a part of The Order" Ron said "Maybe that's why they let him go? He might not be a collaborator......"

"If he's working at Hogwarts....." Seamus trailed off.

"We can speculate all we want" Neville said, waving his hand and cutting the conversation off "But the politics of Hogwarts and The Ministry wasn't the reason I asked you to come" He looked around the room again "It was more to do with us, and some of our friends - both in Gryffindor and other Houses"

"You mean Hermione's Army?" Lavender asked.

"Yes" Neville nodded "Last year we were just teaching ourselves defence because that feckless bitch wouldn't, but now......... now we are going up against something much more dangerous"

"You have to do what's right, not what's easy" Parvati shrugged "And if anything we're going to need to look after the first born more than ever"

"But we're going to need to protect ourselves" Dean said "Last year The Ministry was still being run by that idiot Fudge, and even if Umbridge was on a rip, she was only trying to enforce his authority. She wasn't going to beat people to death for running an illegal group" He looked around "Do you really think that our new Emperor is going to stick to the same rules? Do you really believe if he caught us engaging in sedition, treason and training for terrorist activity he wouldn't have us executed?"

"But..... but we're children" Lavender said.

"We're turning seventeen this year" Dean replied almost at once "By the end of the year we will all be adults........" He trailed off "Well - the law will see us as adults, even if our parents don't" He smirked as everyone laughed "My point is - if we're going to do this, and I agree we should, then we should at least take steps to protect ourselves in some way"

"How?" Neville asked.

"I know it sounds a bit untrusting, but anyone who wants to get involved in our group has to sign a contract, promising not to reveal what they are doing" Dean said "The muggles call it a Non-Disclosure Agreement, and there are legal penalties involved" He paused "I realise since we are doing this outside The Ministry we can't really enforce those but could we enforce some magical penalty of some type?"

"I don't know? Can we?" Neville asked "I could ask my Gran - she might be able to help" He looked around "Are you happy for me to do this? You trust me?" They all nodded "Okay - I'll set something up, and let you know when the first meeting is" He paused "Until then - don't mention it to anyone"

"You don't trust the people who were involved last year?" Ron asked in surprise.

"It's not that" Neville shook his head "But with Malfoy running The Ministry there might be some..... pressure coming on their parents, and if they are given a choice between us and their parents, I don't know which way they would go" He bit his lip "I'd rather not force them to have to pick" He looked around "I know you are all taking a risk coming here - thank you"

"You have to do what is right, not what is easy" Ron shrugged.

"It's what they'd do" Lavender added.

"If I was at home my Dad would be moaning about the quidditch being cancelled" Dean replied. 

"No one has suffered like you have suffered" Neville said with a smile.

"I know, right?" 

xoxoxo

_Dear Anne,_

_While there is a lot to be upset about, I have noticed a large number of requests to leave the country in the past few days. And since our new lord and master is trying to establish his new kingdom on earth without seeming like he is an utter lunatic hell bent on committing genocide, a fair number of these requests are being granted._

_So while there is, I believe, still some need for the scarlett cloak to get underway, it might not be as urgent as I originally thought._

_There are also times where I might be.using some creative bookkeeping to make sure some other members of society can escape as well._

_Turns out that working in DC was a lot more fun than I thought. Who knew?_

_Your American correspondent,  
Diana._

xoxox

Severus stood up in front of The Great Hall, and smiled.

"Welcome to Hogwarts" He said in a loud voice "My name is Severus Snape, and I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts. In a moment, our new first year students will be sorted, but first I have a few announcements" He looked around.

"Due to unfortunate circumstances over the summer, we have a large number of new staff this year. Please be patient with them as they adjust to their new jobs as they adjust to you being new students" He said "In addition, the role of High Inquisitor that has been so successful over the past year has been removed as it was felt that it was no longer necessary since there are no longer any fears about the standard of education" He smiled "Finally - the quidditch cup will be held this year, however all the teams from last year will be dissolved and the captains will be appointed by their Heads of House and will supervise all try outs. Now - Professor Flitwick - if we could proceed to the sorting?"

xoxox

Neville watched as the first first year walked up to The Hat, then he turned to the group sat at the end of the Gryffindor table.

"First meeting tonight, sixth year boys' dorm" He whispered "Then we have to find somewhere after that to hold them - if every student we ask to join keeps coming into our bedroom someone is probably going to notice after a while"

"You would hope" Lavender smirked.

xoxox

Two weeks later, Neville stood up in the backroom of The Hogshead and looked at the two dozen or so students assembled.

"You are all here because you know there is something very wrong with our country" He said "Ever since Harry and Hermione died, this country has gone to crap. And while there might not be a lot we can do about it at the moment, I believe that we should be ready to act when the call comes" He looked around "Last year we taught ourselves defence and - as a bonus - we all got pretty good marks. But we also learned how to defend ourselves. But this year I think we should go further" He clasped his hands behind his back "Before she left, Hermione taught me that you can't take a government head on - not when it is as strong as this one. You have to stage a rebellion. You become - for want of a better phrase - terrorists" 

"Freedom fighters" Hannah supplied.

"They are the same thing" Neville shrugged "Even if we call ourselves freedom fighters, The Ministry will not - they'll call us terrorists and hunt us down like skrewts" He paused "But if we can learn to protect ourselves and to hide in the shadows, then I think we can survive, and maybe even prosper" He smiled "It's dangerous, and there is a good chance we will die, but the alternative is we die anyway. At least this way we die with our face to the fire - doing what is right" He smiled again as he realised they were all nodding.

"So now - here's the second part" He pulled out a roll of parchment "The Hogwarts' staff were betrayed because they were sold out from inside - Snape and Umbridge stayed in the school after the wards went up, then brought them down without anyone noticing" He put the parchment down on top of a barrel "I don't propose for that to happen to us" He pulled out a quill "Everyone who wants to join Hermione's Army has to sign this. By doing so you agree not to tell anyone what we are doing who doesn't already know, and agrees to accept whatever punishment the group deigns acceptable if you do"

"What punishment is that?" Cho asked.

"We get to decide" Dean replied "If someone breaks the agreement and tells on us, then we get to decide the punishment"

"But that's not fair" Marietta said from her seat next to Cho "Why should we sign something without knowing the consequences?"

"Because you are agreeing not to betray us" Neville said calmly "By putting your signature on this parchment, you agree not to betray us" He paused "It's that simple - you sign, you agree. If you break that agreement, then you get punished" He shrugged "You can not sign if you want - no one will force you" He turned and signed his name on the list, then turned back "Who's next?"

xoxox

_Dear Diana,_

_Angel One will not be taking part, because they are too young - while they are a good for transporting messages in secret, we all agreed we cannot in good conscience ask them to go into the field, especially not back into The Empire._

_Angels Two, Three and Four will be taking part. We know the risks, but we believe that the benefits greatly outweigh any dangers. We have started our training, and we believe we will be ready by the new year. I realise this is not ideal, however given what we are planning - and the danger involved - we want to be ready, because if we aren't we will be worse than useless._

_Arch Angel One, Arch Angel Two and Arch Angel Three have all given us their blessing even though Arch Angel Two and Arch Angel Three only know us since we arrived in France and have no idea of our past selves, and will not know our future selves at all._

_Angel Three (my friend) had a very good suggestion about that topic. She, of course, reads a great deal (far more than is reasonably healthy for a girl of her age) and has picked out three names, and the name of our group._

_Because when we come, we will not come like a thief in the night - unknown and without herald. No - they will know we have been there, and they will know what we have done._

_The Scarlett Cloak will throw a protective cowl over magical Britain, but when we rescue those in danger, we will take a page out of the book of another hero - one who rescued those at threat from a previous regime who wanted them dead._

_The Scarlett Cloak will become The Scarlet Pimpernel - also known as anagallis arvensis. And as we are guided by Angel One, so will our group take her name. (Of course, if she had told me I'd spelt Scarlett wrong all this time it would have been more helpful, but when I asked her, she said 'where is the fun in that?')_

_When we steal those they would kill from under their noses, we will leave them a message - that The Angels of Arven have come for their victims. And that we will return and return again until they learn their lesson._

_Watch for us, Diana, because we are coming._

_This is the time of Angels._

_Your friends,  
Anne,  
Gilbert &  
Ruby._

xoxox

**Six Months Later**

Severus Snape sat behind the Headmaster's desk, and stared up at the four students lined up in front of him. He then looked over at the other two staff members, stood at either end of the line.

"Professor Flitwick, Professor Shacklebolt" He said "Perhaps one of you could explain to me why we are here?"

"I caught these four students attacking three of my Slytherins" Kingsley said "Longbottom and Weasley had one of them pinned up against a wall, while Patil was about to curse him"

"And Thomas?" Severus asked calmly.

"He was keeping lookout, Headmaster" Kingsley replied.

"Professor Flitiwck, do you have anything to add?"

"They said that the three Slytherins - Malfoy, Parkinson and Goyle - had attacked Dorcus McCallister earlier that day" Filius replied.

"Is that true?" Severus asked.

"It is true that they said it" Filius nodded "Whether the accusation is true or not I have been unable to ascertain - I am still making investigations"

"You will cease said investigations" Severus said with a dismissive waive "Mister Malfoy is the child of a Ministry official, as are Miss Parkinson and Mister Goyle - it would be unwise to anger their parents"

"They beat up a first year" Neville said darkly.

"The Headmaster was not talking to you, Longbottom" Kingsley said.

"The Headmaster is letting attacks on first-born witches and wizards go unpunished" Neville snapped back "If he won't do his job then it is up to someone else to do it for him"

"That is what we have prefects for, Longbottom" Kingsley said.

"It's the prefects that are doing the attacking" Ron growled, then - with a sneer - added "Sir"

"Mister Weasley - you are in enough trouble already" Filius said "I would suggest you keep a civil tongue in your head" Ron turned to him, then - at the expression in Filius' face - he decided to keep his mouth shut.

"Detention - all four of you" Severus said "And I suggest that you keep you let the prefects and teachers handle discipline in the future"

"Sir....." Parvati started.

"Was I not clear, Miss Patil?" Severus rose to his feet "Perhaps you would care to explain what you were doing to the parents of the students in question?" He smiled "I am sure The Minister of Magic would love to make your personal acquaintance"

"No, Sir" She shook her head.

"Filius - see to their detentions"

"Yes, Headmaster" Filius nodded.

"Ensure they are suitable - I have had reports that you have been going easy on your students" Severus gazed at him "I wouldn't want anyone questioning your loyalty to The Ministry, or The Emperor"

"No, Headmaster" Filius replied.

"Very well - dismissed" Severus waved his hand. Filius lead the four students out, while Kingsley sat down.

"I don't entirely trust him, Headmaster" He said as Severus retook his seat.

"The Ministry questioned him and cleared him" Severus replied "He is not a member of The Order, and he showed no overt allegiance to Albus, and no objections to serving Hogwarts under The Emperor, or under me"

"He's part goblin" Kingsley pointed out.

"And the goblins have declared their allegiance to the government" Severus responded "Which, I confess, might not mean a great deal since they also declared their allegiance to the previous government, however for the moment we have orders to work with them, and I have found it unwise to question the orders of my master" He gave Kingsley a penetrating look "Our master"

"I understand" Kingsley nodded "Do you want me to supervise the detentions with him?"

"No" Severus shook his head "Let's see how he does with them, and we will see if he is worthy of the trust we have placed in him" He paused "If it turns out he is not - well, we will deal with that eventuality if it occurs"

"Yes, Headmaster"

xoxox

Filius lead the four students down the stairs, through the halls and out into the grounds.

"Professor......" Neville started.

"Mister Longbottom - we have discussed this before" Filius cut him off "The school is not the place to work out personal grudges against people you dislike"

"Dorcus was left with a broken arm, a black eye and a sprained ankle" Neville replied balefully "And she was not the first to be attacked. First born students are being bullied - attacked - on a near daily basis and the staff does nothing"

"The staff is acting under the instruction of The Headmaster" Filius replied "We do what we can"

"Then you are not doing enough" Neville snapped, and before Filius could respond, Neville turned and stalked off, followed by Ron, Parvati and Dean.

xoxox

"Francis, River?" The two girls turned to see their friend - codenamed Angel One - walking towards them.

"Hello" River said "What brings you to our door?"

"Funny you should mention that" Angel One responded "Because I have been looking through some of the history of our school, and I believe I can provide more assistance than I have been doing" Francis looked around, but Angel One smiled.

"I made sure we were alone" Angel One said "I know I cannot come into the field - even I accept that would be a danger too far - but if you'd like to follow me....." The Angel set off down the corridor, and after a moment, Francis and River followed. 

A few minutes later, all three of them came to a half in front of a tapestry depicting a fire that had one raged through Paris. 

"The burning of The Latin Quarter" Angel One said "Eleven twenty one - rumoured to have been started by savages and barbarians from the southern continent as a punishment for the then King's excursion into their territory, however there are also stories it was started by an out of control magical fire spell"

"It's........ pretty" Francis said.

"True" Angel One nodded "However that is not why I brought you here. Look directly at the tapestry and say the phrase 'The sun will set in the east'" River gasped in surprise "What?"

"Nothing" Francis said "It was just something someone said to us on holiday" She paused, then looked at the tapestry "The sun will set in the east" For a moment nothing happened, then her eyes widened and she watched as the fire - so deftly woven in the tapestry - came to life and began to burn across it, revealing a dark black void behind it.

"Well - my work here is done" Angel One said, then turned and walked away down the corridor, but neither of them noticed as they stared at the widening void.

"Should we go in?" Francis asked "I mean - is it safe?"

"What's life without a little risk?" River grinned, then she bounded forward and jumped in to the blackness. Francis stared after her, then sighed.

"As a rule? Longer" She said, then jumped in after her girlfriend.

xoxox

They found themselves in a large chamber with a circular table in the middle with four seats - one at each point of the compass.

"Well I'm not sure this was what I was expecting" River admitted "But if we want a secret chamber where we can plan our extractions, this is a pretty good place"

"Where do you think The Angel found it? Or did they know about it all along?" Francis asked, and River shrugged.

"I've stopped worrying about things like that" She admitted "So the next question is - can we get out of here" She looked around and realised there were three other portals "How do you feel about exploring?"

xoxox

"Jayce?" Jayce turned as Marius ran up behind him.

"Marius" He gave a polite nod "How may I be of assistance to you today?"

"The Headmistress is looking for you" Marius replied "Asked if you could go to her office"

"Of course" Jayce nodded "Thank you"

"My pleasure" Marius turned and bounded off, while Jayce walked off and headed up the stairs.

xoxox

"Headmistress?" Jayce knocked on the door, and pushed it open.

"Mister McConnell, do come in" Olympe waved her hand, and Jayce walked into the office "My apologies for distracting you on such a lovely day, but I wanted to talk to you" She waved her hand, and the door closed behind him, then a shimmering ward flowed down over it. 

"Something private?" He asked, eyeing the ward.

"I have been reminded by The Parliament of Mages, and by The Ministry in particular, about our duty not to encourage any seditious activities against countries that are considered our allies" She said in a neutral tone "In particular, given that France has received a number of...... refugees, shall we say, from the new administration in the UK, Minister Duvall has reminded me that we should not be providing them a base from which to overthrow, or even plot or encourage the overthrow, of their previous home"

"That sounds reasonable" Jayce nodded "And the reason you are imparting this knowledge to me?"

"The Minister made specific reference to ensuring that none of my students should feel the urge to encouraging sedition, treason or rebellion" She said, staring down at him over the tops of her glasses.

"Headmistress, I can promise you that we are not going to encourage anyone to behave in a manner that would encourage sedition or rebellion against the lawful government of magical Britain" Jayce said with a smile. 

"Glad to hear it" Olympe replied "What about treason?"

"No treason either" He shook his head.

"So I can report back to The Minister to tell her that we have no need to fear that The Ministry would have any reason to complain?" She asked archly.

"You can report back to The Minister to tell her that there will be no one who will be encouraging sedition, rebellion or treason against the lawful and legitimate government of magical Britain" He said carefully. 

"Good enough for me" She smiled "So how do you think your second year is going?"

"I don't want to speak for my sisters, but I think that all three of us may have found a home" He said, letting a fond smile cross his face "We are all very happy here, Madame Maxime and I can't imagine we are going to want to leave"

xoxox

"This place is amazing! I may never want to leave!" River exclaimed. She and Francis had been walking through various portals for thirty minutes and had found four more chambers - one that was a conference room, one that looked like a laboratory, one that was a huge library and one that seemed to be a communication chamber.

"We could literally run a war from in here" Francis admitted "Which I think was the idea" She looked at her girlfriend "Something I suppose I should have asked a while ago - you do know how to get out of here, right?"

"Oh yes" River nodded, then pointed to the void on the left hand wall "We just go back through that portal" She walked over to it "Would you care to accompany me, my sweet?"

"I cannot think of anything else I would rather do" Francis replied, holding other hand.

"Anything else?" River quirked an eyebrow "That does cover quite a lot of sins, now that you think about it"

"Do you want me to come with you, or argue about semantics?"

"You know I am always up for some antics, but there's a chance that our brother might be wondering where we are" Francis smirked "Shall we go?"

xoxox

They emerged from a tapestry depicting a huge battle in Greece, and as soon as they were clear, the forces on the right drove the forces on the left backwards, covering up the void.

"That is so pretty" Francis said, watching as the picture in the cloth became still "I wonder what the pass phrase is for this one?"

"The sun sets in the east" River tried, but nothing happened. She glanced at Francis, then looked at the tapestry again "The sun sets in the east" 

"I heard you the first time" River and Francis blinked in surprise at the voice that came back from the tapestry. They exchanged glances, then both walked forward and peered at the woven picture, and finally saw a small Greek commander waving his sword at them.

"You can talk?" Francis asked.

"Of course I can talk" He replied "I'm not a savage"

"And you can speak English?" River said.

"What's English?" He stared at them.

"The language we're speaking" Francis looked at her girlfriend.

"I'm speaking Greek - the language of my ancestors and my people" He said "As are you"

"We are?" River frowned, then shrugged "So if that isn't the passphrase, what is?"

"All the words of the ancients are written on the subway walls" The commander said, and Francis snorted in amusement "I amuse you, my lady?"

"Sorry" Francis gave an apologetic nod "I just wasn't expecting a Greek commander to be a Simon and Garfunkel fan"

"It is how I was taught, my lady" He said "And that is all I have to say" He fell silent, and turned his face back to the battle.

"Thank you, commander" River nodded, then turned to Francis "I guess we have to return to the first one we went through and then see if we can find where the passwords are written down" Francis nodded, then she yawned.

"I am all for doing that - sounds like a big exciting adventure - but can we at least do it tomorrow?" She yawned again "Kind of sleepy"

"Yes, dear" River smiled "Come on - lets get you to bed"

"Promises, promises"

xoxox

Filius stared up at the clocktower, then sighed.

"Professor Flitwick" Severus walked up behind him "What do we have here?" Filius tensed, then reluctantly turned around.

"It's the Malfoy boy, Headmaster" He said.

"So it would seem, Professor" Severus looked up to where Draco was hanging upside down - tied up by his feet - from the hands of the clock.

"How do you think he may have got up there, Professor?" Severus asked after a moment.

"Maybe he was doing some repair work, and he slipped and fell" Filius suggested "But - being the conscientious young man he is, he ensured he was secured before he did so that he wouldn't fall to his death" Severus stared at him.

"That is the story you want to tell? When The Minister asks how his son ended up hanging from the clock tower by his feet, you want to tell The Minister of Magic that it was his son's fault?" He asked.

"It seems as reasonable an explanation as any, Headmaster" Filius said.

"Be ready to cut the rope when I say so, Filius" Severus said, then he drew his wand "LEVICORPUS!" Draco lifted up slightly and the rope slackened a little "Now, Professor"

"DIFFINDO" Filius severed the rope, and Severus lowered Draco to the ground. 

"Now, Mister Malfoy, perhaps you would care to explain how this happened?" He asked. Draco pushed himself up to a sitting position, then looked up at them.

"I was fixing the clock, and I slipped" He said in a flat, cold voice "Just as Professor Flitwick said.

"Mister Malfoy - I would suggest not trying to get revenge yourself" Filius said quietly "I will not permit you......"

"I promise that neither I, nor any of my friends will get revenge against anyone" Draco said "Why would I, when I slipped?" Filius gazed at him for a moment, then turned to Severus.

"I think we are done here, Headmaster"

"I concur, Professor" Severus replied "You are dismissed" Filius frowned, then reluctantly he turned and walked away. Once he was out of earshot, Severus turned back to Draco.

"Are you telling the truth, Mister Malfoy?" He asked "Did you slip?"

"Of course not, Severus" Draco sneered "But I will not disrupt the work of your precious school" He smiled "Now that my father is Minister, I have much better ways of getting my revenge"

xoxox

_Gilbert!_

_The new headmaster of Redroofs is going to try to poach a student from St Claire's. He, and his associates, are going to get him this afternoon._

_I realise that The Angels might not yet be prepared, but you must go and go now, or they will arrest him, put him on trial and most likely kill him and Harry's mother's godson will die._

_They are going at 2pm. You have to intercept them or he will be dead before nightfall._

_Urgently,  
Anna._

xoxox

Jayce walked into the chamber of the round table to find Angel One, Angel Two and Angel Three waiting for him.

"The Headmistress has provided us with portkeys. They can only be activated by us, and are triggered by saying 'angel' three times - if they're stolen from us, they won't work and can't be used against us. We also have one two-way portkey each - they also only work for us" He looked at River and Francis "Have you got your glamours ready to go?"

"Yes" They both stood up, then transformed into two completely different people, wearing jeans and t-shirts bearing the motto "You're mind is too small to be let out alone, so don't let it wander" He smirked.

"Not going for subtle then?" He asked, then he waved his hand and transformed into a completely different boy wearing the same clothes.

Angel One stared at them, then smiled.

"I'll keep a candle in the window"

xoxox

The doors to The Great Hall slammed open, crashing into the walls, and Lucius Malfoy strode in, followed by three Aurors.

"NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM - YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR TREASON, SEDITION AND CONSPIRACY" Lucius said in a loud voice "Please come with us"

"Minister - you are aware that The Ministry has no authority in Hogwarts?" Filius said, getting to his feet.

"Headmaster? Do you object to us arresting your students when they are wanted for crimes against the state?" Lucius asked, folding his arms and staring up The Hall.

"There is evidence to support this arrest, I take it?" Severus asked.

"The evidence will be provided at his trial" Lucius nodded.

"Then I have no problem with you arresting students when they are wanted for crimes against the state" Severus replied "On the understanding that if the trial does not find him guilty, he will be returned to Hogwarts with a full apology"

"Of course" Lucius smiled "We are not going to put someone in jail who is innocent" He turned to the Gryffindor table "Neville Longbottom - either come forward and present yourself or we will drag you out of here in handcuffs" There was a moment's silence, then Neville rose to his feet and walked down the length of the Gryffindor table. He walked past the Hufflepuff table, then stopped in front of Lucius.

"Mister Longbottom - you are under arrest on suspicion of treason, sedition and conspiracy against the lawful government of The Emperor of Britain. You have rights under the Ministry Charter, and you have rights to a representative. Please hold out your hands" The Auror stood behind Lucius said.

"You don't need handcuffs" Neville said "I won't resist" The Auror looked at Lucius, who gave a single nod.

"Very well - come with us" He said. Neville turned to see Draco smirking at him, then he turned and gave the Gryffindors a wave.

"I'll be back before tea" He said.

"I wouldn't count on it, Mister Longbottom" Lucius replied, then he and the Aurors turned and escorted Neville out of The Great Hall.

xoxox

The three Angels walked up the path from Hogsmeade and through the gates of Hogwarts, then walked up the path to the main doors.

They lined up against the wall, and then waited.

"First one who can get to him gets him home?" Percy said, and the other two nodded "Okay" They all fell silent, and waited.

A few minutes later, Lucius, the Aurors and Neville emerged. The trio watched as Lucius walked a few steps down the path, then they set off after them.

Percy slowly walked up behind the first Auror, and pressed the wand against his back. The Auror collapsed. A moment later, Kenny did the same to the second Auror who collapsed as well. 

"What the......." The third Auror span round, as did Lucius and Neville. 

"STUPEFY!"  
"STUPEFY!" Lucius and the third Auror collapsed, while Neville simply stared at them.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"We're friends" Blake said "You can either come with us - to somewhere safe - or you can stay here and wait for Lucius to wake up and take you to The Ministry" She paused "But you have to make up your mind quickly"

"I'm coming with you" Neville said.

"Good choice" Blake replied, then tossed him a portkey "Angel! Angel! Angel!" Neville vanished "So - do we wake them up and tell them?"

"I think we should - otherwise they might blame someone inside" Percy nodded.

xoxox

Lucius jolted awake, found his hands bound in magical handcuffs and found himself lying on the ground.

"What...... what's going on?" He asked, his head still spinning from the stunning spell.

"We did it the hard way, Mister Malfoy" Percy stared down at him "Mister Longbottom is safe now, and you won't be able to get to him"

"Who........ who are you?" Lucius asked.

"We are friends, Minister" Blake smiled.

"Friends who attack me? Friends who break prisoners out of custody and who help them escape?" Lucius stared at them incredulously.

"We didn't say we were your friends, Minister" Blake's smiled widened, then she looked up as she saw Severus and Filius coming out of the main entrance "We have to go now"

"But don't worry - we'll be back" Kenny said with a smile.

"But who are you?" Lucius demanded again. Percy, Blake and Kenny took a few steps back, then - as Severus and Filius skidded to a halt - they all drew their wands, and took out their portkeys.

"You'll find out soon" Kenny said "And trust me - it's going to be a lot of fun" They triggered their portkeys, and vanished. 

xoxox

They reappeared in the chamber of the round table to find Neville staring around in curiosity.

"Mister Longbottom" Kenny said. Neville stared at the three of them in bemusement.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"You are at Beauxbatons Academy for Exceptional Witches and Wizards" Blake said "Welcome to our school, and to your new life"

"And who are you?" He gazed at them.

"We, Mister Longbottom, are The Angels of Arven"


	14. Reunion

As Percival, Hermione, Luna and Harry came to the end of their story, Cho, Hannah and Neville stared at them with identical expressions of awe.

"We left, and they escorted me to the Headmistress' office" Neville said, finishing up the story "At which point they left me there, so I never saw them change back to their regular identities" He paused "In the entire time I've been here, this is the first time I've learned who they are"

"And we would appreciate it if you kept it to yourselves" Hermione smiled "We can only really do what we do if we can do it without people knowing who we are" She looked around "There are only two other people who know the truth about us, and each of them only knows a part of it"

"Is that why you created three more names?" Cho asked.

"What's the most common questions round Beauxbatons?" Luna asked "About The Angels?" Cho gazed at her, then her eyes lit up with understanding.

"Who The Angels are" She said "They know that Percy, Blake and Kenny are three students, but no one has any idea who they are" She smiled "And no one has really tried to find out. I mean we - the rescued - speculate, as do the rest of the students, but no one really does some serious investigation"

"So no one has tried to connect The Angels - three students who came out of nowhere - with Jayce, River and Francis - three other students that came out of nowhere" Luna smiled "Think about it - none of you ever considered it, did you?" Neville, Cho and Hannah all exchanged glances, then all nodded, blushing slightly.

"Don't feel bad" Harry gave them a wide grin "We've been doing this a while, and we are very good at what we do" He looked around at the group "But as my most beloved sister said, we'd prefer you to keep this news to yourself - now that The Emperor has lost a member of staff, and maybe an important one, I suspect he's going to want him back. And if The Parliament learns who we are, or The Ministry learns who we are, then they'll come after Xeno, or they'll come after us, or they will put so much pressure on The Parliament that they won't have a choice" Hannah, Neville and Cho all raised their wands.

"I swear that from this moment on, I will only refer to The Angels by their codenames in council, and their student names in school" They said in near unison "As I speak this spell its magic will enforce itself upon me" Harry stared at them, a look of surprise on his face.

"You realise I would have just settled for a promise, right?" He said.

"Percival promised, and look what happened" Hannah shrugged "Better safe than sorry"

"There's just one thing I don't understand" Neville said.

"One thing?" ho interjected, making him laugh.

"Who is Angel One?" He asked after he'd stopped chuckling "Ever since we met - and you inducted me into your group - I'd assumed you were the first three Angels. You have always acted like you were the final arbiters of what we do, where we go and so on" He paused "I thought I was Angel Four - am I Angel Five?" Luna smiled, then walked over and sat down next to him.

"To be honest, we sort of stopped counting after us" She said "However yes - if you were going to be one of the The Angels, you would be Angel Five" She smiled, then looked at the group.

"As for Angel One, I'm afraid that - even after all we've told you, we can't tell you that"

"Angel One's identity is classified beyond top secret, and will remain so until the war ends, or the three of us are dead" Hermione continued "If that happens, you'll be informed because you will need to know, but until then only Percival, the three of us and one other person know and I am really sorry, but it has to remain that way" She paused "It's not because we don't trust you - please don't think that. We trust you - and all the rescued - with our lives"

"We understand" Hannah smiled, then she tilted her head to one side "So - Percival........ not to put too fine a point on this, but your entire family, and most of the rescued, think you are a collaborator and want to rip your head off to use it as a quaffle"

"I am aware" Percival said with an amused smile "Although, to be fair, I've been working for The Emperor in The Diplomatic Corps since Britain fell, so it's not like they don't have their reasons"

"I take it you have a plan to reintroduce yourself to polite society?" Cho asked "Because I am pretty sure if you just walk into the grand hall tomorrow morning........" She glanced at her watch ".......sorry - if you just walk into the grand hall later this morning then a lot of people are going to kill you and ask questions later" She paused, then blushed "Sorry - that may have come out more blunt than I planned"

"No, no" Percival shook his head "That pretty much sums it up" He looked at Harry, Luna and Hermione "I take it you have a plan?"

"No, not really" Luna admitted "We were more focused on getting you out of there before The Emperor killed you - we didn't put much thought into what happened next"

"That sounds like you" Percival smiled.

"However if you all want to go to bed, we will put our heads together and figure something out" She continued "Percival - there is a bed chamber through one of the portals, and I realise it might not be the most comfortable of places, but I fear that Hannah is right - if you are seen walking around the school before we get a chance to reintroduce you properly there might be hell to pay"

"I expected to end this night in a cell or in my grave" Percival replied with a shrug "So if there is a bed, I will be happy" He yawned "Although that will be tempered with extreme tiredness"

"Hence the everyone going to bed" Harry smiled, then he, Hermione and Luna waved their wands and reapplied their glamours, reverting to Percy, Blake and Kenny.

"Hannah, Cho, Neville - thank you very much for your assistance" Percy said "We really are in your debt - saving Percival could mean more than any of us know. You have all done good work tonight and one day, if we can, we will make sure everyone knows" The three students all flushed with pride "But now you should go to bed, because tomorrow is another day"

"Actually tomorrow is today" Blake interjected "Tomorrow is about five hours away"

"Yes, thank you sweetie" Percy stuck her tongue out "Please, go sleep and we'll talk to you tomorrow" 

"Yes, Percy" They all nodded, then they filed out of the chamber. Blake turned to Percival.

"If you'd like to come with me?" She said, then lead him through another portal. Kenny turned to his sister.

"Any ideas?"

"I know we rarely appear as us in public, but enough of the rescued know who we are to trust us" She said, looking at the portal that Blake and Percival had vanished through "If the three of us escort him into the grand hall, and reintroduce him to the magical world, I am pretty sure that there is no one who will question him"

"Not even Ron? You know how bolshy he can be" Kenny said with a smirk.

"I think Ron will accept it - he saw us rescue his family and I think he has gained respect for us" She replied "He also doesn't know who we are - which is another reason he will respect us" She took his hand "We'll introduce him, explain what he has been doing, that he has saved the lives of everyone who has been taken from Britain and brought here, and make it clear that he is a hero"

"And then we leave?"

"And then we leave" She smiled, then turned as Blake walked back through the portal. 

"Percival is all settled in for the night - I've told him we'll come back for him around lunchtime, and he can sleep until then" She paused "I've also told him how to get out if something goes wrong" Kenny arched an eyebrow, and Blake shrugged "We didn't get this far by not planning for the alternatives" She yawned "But now, brother of mine, I'm afraid I have to go to bed"

"Me too" He admitted, then looked over to see Percy leaning against the wall, eyes closed "And your most beloved appears to have beaten you too it" She followed his gaze, and smiled a fond smile before walking over and shaking her girlfriend gently.

"Come on sweetie - lets go to bed" She said in a soft voice.

"Sounds fun" Percy said in a sleepy voice "Are you going to wear the bunny ears or am I?" Kenny snorted in amusement while Blake flushed bright red.

"That was more than I wanted to know" He said "So I will leave you to your girlfriend and your bunny ears and I will see you back here at eleven thirty?"

"Eleven thirty, and shush - I'll have you know the bunny ears are not what you think" Blake snapped, still slightly red "Just go!"

"Yes dear" He leaned over and kissed her cheek, then turned and walked out of the portal. When he walked out into the corridor, he looked around and - seeing he was completely alone - waved his wand and changed his glamour to appear as Jayce instead of Kenny.

A few moments later, Percy and Blake emerged from the portal and walked off in the other direction. As they walked along the corridor, Blake looked around and - after checking she and Percy were completely alone - transformed them as well.

xoxox

Later that morning, Olympe found a letter on her desk, with a triple "A" in the top left hand corner.

"Madame Maxime,

I realise this is an unusual request, but we conducted an emergency extraction mission last night and now have a very important member of our group within your school. He has been the key to our success ever since Britain fell to The Emperor, and without him it would not be an exaggeration to say every person we have rescued would be dead or in prison, including every member of the Hogwarts' staff and former Ministry workers. 

I know we did this without informing you, and I know this puts the school at risk, but we learned last night he was in serious danger of being arrested. If that had happened, he would be dead - he had already promised he wouldn't allow himself to be put on trial, and would kill himself before letting that happen. We had to act and we had to act quickly.

I know this breaks our agreement and we will accept any punishment you see fit to give us, as long as it is only us you apply them against - our guest is innocent in all this, as were the people who helped us. (And no - we are not going to tell you who they were).

In the mean time, we would like to introduce our guest to the school at lunchtime today. You will understand why we want to do it this way once you see us do it, and I realise we have no reason to ask for another favour after breaking our agreement and violating your trust. However we do beg your indulgence and ask this one favour. 

Although - to be honest - before this is over we will probably ask for many more favours and we will break this agreement on many more occasions if we have to. Because while we respect you, and we respect our agreement, we respect life more than anything else, and will do anything to protect it. 

However, that aside, if you agree to our request - to introduce him at lunch - please leave a message with The Head Girl. We will make sure we get it.

Thank you in advance,  
The Angels"

xoxox

Cho walked along the corridor, then smiled as she saw Fleur Delacour walking along ahead of her.

"Fleur?" She called out, then sped up a little and caught up with The Veela "I don't suppose you remember me?"

"Miss Chang?" Fleur nodded "I remember that Harry was sweet on you" Cho blushed slightly.

"That was a long time ago" She replied "I was just wondering if you had a message from The Headmistress?" Fleur's eyes widened in surprise. 

"You know who The Angels are?" She asked.

"What?" Cho looked at her in bemusement "Oh - no" She shook her head "I just found a note on my nightstand this morning - asking me to talk to The Head Girl about something they might be planning at lunch. If the answer is yes, I am to pass a note to someone else, who will pass it...... well - you get the idea" Fleur smiled.

"They are very protective of their identity" She said.

"They've spent two years attacking The Emperor and The Ministry - I think they are concerned if their real identities come out then The Emperor would sent agents after them" Cho replied.

"So you don't know who they are?" Fleur asked curiously.

"Nope" Cho shook her head "And sorry to press you on this, but....."

"Oh - sorry" Fleur smiled "The Headmistress says they can do what they wish - the lunchtime is their's"

"Thank you" Cho smiled "And now, I will leave you to get on with your day" She turned and bounded off down the corridor. Fleur watched her go, then turned and walked off the other way.

xoxox

"She said yes" Cho said, sitting down next to Susan in their charms class.

"Thank you" Susan smiled.

xoxox

"She said yes" Susan said to River as they walked towards their history class.

"Cool" River smiled.

xoxox

"She said yes" River said to Marius and Fantine as they left the history class.

"Then I'll see you at lunch" Fantine replied, then took Marius' hand and walked out of the room.

xoxox

Twenty minutes later, River, Francis and Jayce walked into the chamber of the round table and found Percival waiting for them.

"The Headmistress has agreed to our request" River said "And earlier this year we found a portal out of here that opens up into an antechamber in the grand hall, so we don't have to risk you being murdered on the way to your grand introduction"

"I would take that as a kindness" Percival smiled "I mean - you did put all that effort into saving me and it would seem like such a waste if someone blasted me to bits now"

"That's what we were thinking - we do hate to see our handiwork go to waste" Francis laughed.

"So - are you ready to go?" Jayce asked "Ready to face the enemy?"

"Oh yes" Percival stood up.

"Then we'll just change" River said, and with three waves of their wand they transformed into The Angels "And go"

xoxox

"Do you know what this is about?" Ron asked Neville as he sat down to lunch.

"The Headmistress just said it was an important announcement" Neville shrugged, then he looked around "Excuse me a second?" He stood up and walked over to the next table, then sat down next to River.

"River?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"Mister Longbottom" She inclined her head in a polite nod "I see you've come for the special announcement as well"

"So it would seem" He said, looking at her curiously "Are Francis and Jayce coming?"

"Francis is on her way - she just got a bit delayed" River smiled "Jayce isn't feeling well - he's in bed with a cold"

"Well - I hope he gets well soon" Neville frowned, then leaned over and lowered his voice even further "I am curious how you are sat here since you will be stood up there in a moment" River smiled.

"I was asked to do a favour for our friends" She replied in an equally low voice "As was my friend" Neville looked round as Francis sat down on his other side.

"Miss Jones" He smiled "River was just telling me about Jayce being ill?" Francis gazed at River, who gave a slight nod.

"Yes, unfortunately he has a cold" She said "But we'll tell him what happens here" She smiled "So - what do you think Madame Maxime's going to tell us?"

"Could be anything" Neville said with a shrug "Maybe we all get the day off. Maybe Beauxbatons is merging with Durmstrang and we're going to war" He paused "Or maybe it's something even more amazing than that"

"You have no idea, do you?" River said.

"I really don't" Neville admitted. River and Francis both laughed "But it's still fun to speculate" He added.

xoxox

Percy, Blake, Kenny and Percival emerged from a tapestry of a forest scene at night into the antechamber at the back of the grand hall. 

"We'll go first" Blake said "We'll explain what you've been doing, and why you've been doing it then we'll invite you out" She paused "There is a chance when we three walk out there we'll have to deal with some applause, but we'll try not to take up too much time"

"Heaven forefend" Percival smiled. The three Angels exchanged glances, then Percy walked over and pushed the door open before leading her two friends out and up to the staff table.

"Headmistress?" She said "It's time"

"Very well" Olympe smiled, then she stood up "If I might have your attention?" She called out, silencing the hall. Everyone turned to face her.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls - The Angels of Arven" There was a moment of stunned silence, then - as Percy lead Blake and Kenny round to the front of the staff table - the entire hall seemed to jump to their feet and start applauding.

Percy, Blake and Kenny stood there for a moment, then Blake raised her hand, and the hall fell silent.

"Thank you" She said "And while we would like nothing more than to stand here while you praise our glory and praise our name, we are here for a reason, so if you'd all like to take your seats we will let you get back to your lunch" There was a wave of laughter as everyone sat down.

"As most of you know, we three have been leading the group that have been carrying out extractions and rescue missions from The Emperor's Britain. Starting with Mister Longbottom, and culminating most recently with the raid against Azkaban that resulted in the liberation of several former staff members from Hogwarts as well as a large number of Ministry Aurors and Order members" She paused "Good Aurors, not evil Aurors, obviously - we could do with far less of them"

"Fewer of them" Percy interjected.

"Could you not?" Blake turned to look at her "Just once can I make a speech without you correcting my grammar?"

"Just once can you make a speech without using bad grammar?" Percy replied. Blake stared at her, then stuck her tongue out, making everyone laugh.

"Anyway - the pedantry of my associate aside - the three of us, along with Mister Longbottom, have been the face of this organisation and because of that we have ensured that the ire and enmity of The Emperor and his flying monkeys has been focused on us" She continued.

"However we have not been doing this alone" Percy took up the story "Since we formed The Angels - since before we went on our first mission to rescue Mister Longbottom from his unfair and ill-deserved fate - we have had help" She smiled "Help from inside The Emperor's Ministry" She realised the entire hall had fallen silent - even Olympe was hanging on their every word.

"We have had a number of agents within The Emperor's Ministry - good men and women who have realised what he is doing is wrong. They have been helping us - letting us know when arrests were pending, letting us know when trials were taking placing, giving us information we otherwise wouldn't have" Kenny said "Our network is wide and exists at every level. There is no piece of information we can't access, no where they can hide that we can't find them" He paused "I know that we three - and those that accompany us - are considered heroes, but the truth is we are just the public face of this organisation. The real, true heroes are those who risk their lives - and still risk their lives - getting this information out so we can do what we do" There was a moment of silence, then Blake smiled.

"Last night, we received a communication - one of these agents was in danger. His cover had been blown, and he was in imminent danger of being arrested - arrested and most likely tortured and killed" She said "So we dragooned a few of our companions and staged an emergency extraction. We encountered some stiff resistance, but we fought it off and rescued our agent and brought him home" She smiled "He is safe and sound and will be joining us here" She took a deep breath, then trailed off as she realised someone had risen to their feet "Mister Dumbledore? May I help you?"

"You said you encountered stiff resistance" Albus said "What form did this take?"

"Is that really important?" She asked in response "We had a problem and we dealt with it"

"Might I ask how you dealt with it?" Blake gazed at him then looked at Percy and then Kenny. She smiled, then turned back to face Albus.

"We killed them" She said "Every Auror, every Death Eater that attacked us - we hit them with a killing curse and we killed them" She paused "If that is all?"

"You are aware that using a killing curse on a fellow human being is punishable by life in prison?" He asked.

"Is it?" Percy turned to look at Olympe "Madame Maxime? Don't the laws in France say something different?"

"They do" She nodded.

"That's what I thought" Percy looked back at Blake, who turned back to Albus.

"If I might continue? There are a lot of students here who want to finish their lunch and you are holding them all up with your questions" She stared at him a moment longer, then turned back to face the hall.

"After getting a good night's rest, he is ready to take over as our Head of Operations, partly relieving Mister Longbottom of that duty. He will, in effect, become the Head of The Angels, and will become our primary liaison at Beauxbatons" She paused, then smiled.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, I would like to introduce you to a true hero, a man who has risked his life every day since magical Britain fell to Voldemort's Empire and a man to whom all of The Rescued owe their lives" She drew her wand and waved it, opening the door. A moment later, Percival walked out.

"PERCY?" Ginny yelled, bounding to her feet. She ran up the length of the hall and threw herself into his arms "Percy?"

"I go by Percival" He said softly as he hugged her, then looked up as the rest of his family walked up to stand around them "We thought it would be less confusing that way" Percy smirked in amusement.

"But...... it's you" Charlie said "We thought....... we thought you were a collaborator"

"He's stayed on with The Emperor's Ministry for us" Kenny said "We needed someone in The Diplomatic Corps - we had agents in other parts, but Percival was our agent in DC" He smiled "He put himself in unbelievable danger, just to ensure any number of people could escape" 

"Including us" Fred said, gazing at his elder brother.

"Including you" Blake nodded, then she turned back to the hall "I know a lot of you have thought Mister Weasley was a collaborator - well - he wasn't. He was working in The Ministry on our behalf, and he is the reason everyone we have rescued is alive. I would ask you, for our sakes', not to question him or bother him about his recent past and to let him settle into his new life" She paused "And now, since he has a family to get reacquainted with, and his story is known to everyone, I believe our work here is done - thank you for giving us the time to explain, and for listening to us. We appreciate it very much, and for giving Mister Weasley the benefit of the doubt" She, Percy and Kenny all turned and walked towards the door to the antechamber. 

"Miss...... Blake" Albus stood up again, and started walking down the hall. He saw them vanish into the antechamber, the door closing behind them. 

He quickened his step, and pushed open the door to the antechamber, only to find it empty. He looked around, blinking in surprise, but only saw the walls, decorated with various tapestries.

Turning, he walked back into the grand hall again. He glanced over to where Percival was walking down the other side of the hall to sit with his family and then he walked along the back of the staff table and leaned over to talk to Olympe.

"Madame Maxime - might I have a word?" He said.

"What about?" She asked.

"The Angels, and what they....." He started, but she raised her hand.

"I have nothing to do with The Angels" She replied "If you wish to discuss anything with them, please take it up with their liaison - Mister Longbottom" She paused "Although I think Mister Weasley will soon be serving in that role"

"I want to ask you about their....." He started again, but she turned to face him.

"Mister Dumbledore" She said in a quiet but firm voice "I have nothing to do with The Angels. I cannot answer any questions about them. I don't know who they are. I wasn't aware of what they were going to do last night but honestly - now that I know - I would have been cheering them on" She smiled "If you want your questions answered, talk to Mister Longbottom, or to Mister Weasley once he has finished reconnecting with his family. Because I know nothing about their business - nor do I want to" He stared at her.

"Very well" He said "I will speak to Mister Weasley and Mister Longbottom"

"Mister Longbottom has classes this afternoon - see that you do not disturb them" She said as he turned to walk off "I would hate to have to take measures to restrict your access to the school" He paused for a moment, then walked off back to his seat without turning round. 

xoxox

Francis glanced out of the hall and saw Jayce walking in. She nudged her girlfriend, and they both stood up.

"If you will excuse us" She said to Neville "It seems that Jayce is feeling better - we're just going to go and say hi and see how he is doing" They both walked out of the hall, and Neville watched as they vanished round the corner. He looked back at his plate, then a moment later, River, Jayce and Francis all walked back in.

"I see you're feeling better" Neville said with a smile "Your sister said you had a bit of a cold?"

"Turns out I was just tired" Jayce shrugged "I was up late reading last night and I think I got a bit carried away" He looked over at the fifth year table "Who's that?"

"Percival Weasley" Neville said.

"The Collab....." Jayce started, but his sister put her hand up to his lips.

"We'll explain later, but suffice to say rumours of his treason have been greatly over exaggerated" She paused "Unless you are The Emperor, then not so much" She grinned "Say you understand"

"M mm mmmmm mmmmm" Jayce said. River rolled her eyes, then took her fingers off his lips.

"What was that?" She asked.

"I said m mm mmmm mmmm" He said. She stared at him, then turned to Francis.

"So - we finish our lunch?" She asked.

xoxox

"You heard about Mum?" George asked, and Percival gave a sad nod.

"The Minister was very annoyed about what happened that day" He said "He spent quite a lot of time ranting about it - even Mum's death didn't make him happy about it" He sighed "You are all dancing around a question" He looked at each of his family members in turn "You can ask me - I won't take offence"

"How many times did you sign execution orders?" Ron said. Percival smiled.

"I lost count" He said "I tried to ensure that every time I signed one, I let The Angels know, and I hoped that they would come and intercept the Aurors" He paused "I knew it was a risk, but I also knew that if I didn't sign the order, I would be replaced and The Minister would replace me with someone else - someone who wasn't an agent of The Angels" He closed his eyes "I knew what I was doing, but the alternative was far, far worse"

"Me and Cho?" Ron asked, and Percival nodded.

"They were there before you went into court - you were never in any danger" He smiled.

"Good to know" Ron said drily "Although it would have been better to know before we were convicted"

"The detention cells were too well guarded" Neville said, walking over and sitting down opposite him "The only place we could get to you was during the transfer to the chamber" He paused "It was the only way" Ron stared at him, then shrugged.

"I suppose it's better than the alternative" He looked around "Where is Cho, by the way?"

"I think she, Hannah and Susan were doing a magical experiment - they said they'd be late for lunch" River said from behind Neville "But..... they're just there" She pointed to the doors and the entire Weasley family turned as the three girls walked in. 

"So I guess there's only one question left" Fred said "Do you know who The Angels are?" Percival smiled.

"I only ever worked through letters" He said "I've only ever known them as Percy, Blake and Kenny - and last night, when they came to rescue me from my would be murderers - was the first time I met them in person" He shrugged "I've always assumed they have other names - the fact The Angels of Arven are named after The Scarlet Pimpernel seemed more than a little coincidental - but if they went to such troubles to keep their identities a secret then I didn't think it was up to me to reveal them or even try to find them out" He smiled "So - no, I don't know who The Angels are"

"Fair enough" Fred returned his smile "But you're taking over as Head of Operations"

"I have a lot of experience" Percival nodded "And it means that Neville can put his experience in the field to more use - which I think might prove to be more important" They all stared at him, but he simply smiled back enigmatically "Spoilers" They continued to stare at him, then Charlie sighed.

"I'll say one thing - this job hasn't made you any less annoying" He said with a grin.

"Good to know" Percival replied with a laugh. 

"I do have one more question" Charlie asked "In all your time at The Ministry........ did you hear anything about Bill?"

xoxox

Half an hour later, as lunch was breaking up, Neville walked out of the grand hall and towards the main doors when he heard a voice behind him. 

"Mister Longbottom, might I have a word?"

"Mister Dumbledore" Neville stopped, then turned to face Albus "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I was wondering if I might talk to you about what Blake said - about the rescue mission last night" Albus clasped his hands behind his back.

"What about it?" Neville asked.

"I am....... somewhat troubled by the way three children appear to be so willing to use killing curses"

"Do you think that the Aurors and the Death Eaters are just going to use tickling curses, Mister Dumbledore?" Neville stared at him "When we take the field, we do so on the understanding that our lives, and the lives of people we are rescuing, are paramount and every other consideration is secondary" He shrugged "We don't go out of our way to kill, but if it is a choice between them or us, it will always be us"

"And you think that using Death Eaters as your moral compass is wise?" Albus asked.

"We believe that coming back alive is wise" Neville replied "Do you have any other questions, Mister Dumbledore, or might I continue what I was doing?"

"Just one more question" Albus said "They mentioned that they have a number of agents in The Emperor's Ministry" Neville stared back at him.

"That isn't a question, Mister Dumbledore"

"I was wondering if you know who they are? And if it was wise revealing there are more of them?"

"Mister Dumbledore - until today I had no idea that they had any agents in The Emperor's Ministry" Neville replied with a smile "I am as surprised by Mister Weasley's arrival here as you are" He paused "As for the revelation that there might be others - I have long since learned to trust The Angels and give them the benefit of the doubt. In the entire time I have known them I have yet to know them make a mistake - if they have admitted this in public then I am willing to trust they have their reasons"

"And if they are wrong?" Neville shrugged.

"Then they are wrong" He said "I mean - there is a first time for everything, so I guess there has to be a first time for that" He smiled "Are we done?"

xoxox

An hour later, he and Percival walked through the tapestry of the Greek battle into the large chamber to find Blake waiting for them.

"I understand that Albus had words with you, Mister Longbottom?" She said.

"He felt that The Angels - and their associates - should not be using killing curses. That it makes us too much like Death Eaters" Neville replied. Blake rolled her eyes.

"Gods save us from the judgement of a moral man" She said "Especially a moral man who let Britain fall into hell"

"He also asked about the other agents in The Emperor's Ministry" Neville said, glancing at Percival "And whether it was wise announcing their existence so publicly" He realised that Blake and Percival were smirking at each other "You two both thing it is, so what am I missing?"

"Would you care to do the honours, Mister Weasley?" Blake asked.

"Why thank you, my lady" Percival gave a polite nod, then turned to Neville.

"We don't know if The Emperor has any spies or associates or friends over here" He said "He might have sympathisers in France - either in the school, or amongst the parents of the students" He glanced at Blake "Now imagine you are The Emperor"

"Must I?" Neville asked.

"Just for a moment" Percival laughed "Imagine you are The Emperor, and you've just learned that your entire Ministry is riddled with Angel agents"

"Try saying that three times really fast" Blake snickered.

"Oh shush you" Percival waved his hand, then turned back to Neville "What would you do?"

"I'd start an investigation" Neville said "I'd rip my Ministry apart to find the Angel agents" Blake snickered again.

"And you probably wouldn't stop until you found the Ang...." Percival stopped, glanced at Blake, then turned back to Neville "...... Until you found the traitors, right?"

"Probably not" Neville admitted, then his mouth fell open "You're kidding?" He stared at Percival for a moment, then turned to Blake "You're not kidding?"

"Percival was our only agent" She nodded "However if we can get The Emperor and Lucius on a rampage - get them to suspect anyone and everyone and get the entire Ministry to turn on each other........." She trailed off, then shrugged "I'd say it's a win-win for us" Neville stared at them.

"Just when I think I cannot be any more impressed........" He smiled "The future is definitely in good hands"

"About that" Percival said, and they both turned to face him "I am pretty sure I know where The Dark Tower is"


	15. The Dark Tower

Two days later, Antoinette's assistant walked into her office, and closed the door behind him.

"Minister....... there is an emissary from Britain" He said in a slightly nervous voice "He is demanding to speak to you right away" Antoinette leaned back in her chair.

"He is demanding to see me?" She arched her eyebrows? "A lowly functionary is DEMANDING to speak to The First Minister of The Parliament of Mages?" She rose to her feet "Show this brave individual in"

"That's the thing, Minister" Her assistant swallowed "It's not a lowly functionary" He paused "It's Minister Malfoy" Antoinette's eyes widened for a moment, then she calmed down.

"Very well" She took a deep breath, then let it out. 

"Show him in" She said. Her assistant turned and walked out of the office, while she folded her arms. A moment later, Lucius Malfoy strode in.

"Minister Duval" He gave a polite nod.

"Minister Malfoy" She gave an equally polite nod "Would you like to sit down?" She gestured at the seat in front of her desk.

"Thank you" He walked forward and lowered himself into the seat. She sat down a moment later, then folded her hands in front of her.

"So, Minister, to what do I owe this visit?" She asked "It is rare that you venture out of the safely controlled environment of your Emperor's government" She paused "Although from what I understand it is not all that controlled these days"

"Very droll, Minister" He replied drily "And we will come to your part in the unrest in magical Britain at a future date" He leaned forward "There will be a reckoning about you fermenting treason and rebellion in my country, Miss Duvall, and when it comes I promise you you will not find it amusing"

"Thank you for the warning, Mister Malfoy" She smiled "But what does that have to do with your visit today?"

"Today...... today I am very much forced to admit that I require your help" He said in a slightly less arrogant manner.

"My help?" She quirked an eyebrow "The Emperor and his lackey requires my help and the help of My Parliament?" She smiled "You do realise I am under no obligation to assist you or your evil bastard of a master, and since I would see you both burn in hell why on earth would I help you?"

"Because it would be in your best interests, Minister" Lucius smiled a cold, hard smile "And because if you do not provide the help we require, we might be required to seek other methods of redress and assistance - such as The ICW for example" Antoinette stared back at him, then tilted her head to one side.

"Very well, Mister Malfoy - tell me what you need, and I will see what I can do" She held her hand up before he could say anything "However I am not making any promises - and you can threaten me, my country and my people all you want, but I am not going to bow down to Lord Voldemort just because you say so" Lucius gazed at her, then smiled.

"A few days ago, the terrorist group known as The Angels of Arven that have been staging various terror attacks throughout our nation kidnapped a member of our government" He said "They launched an attack on his house, and when the Aurors came to defend them, they were all killed - we have a dozen or so dead Aurors in our mortuary"

"Who was it that they kidnapped?" Antoinette asked.

"A member of our Diplomatic Corps named Percy Weasley" Lucius said "When he didn't turn up for work this morning, his supervisor sent a team round to investigate and found the Aurors stacked up in his house and a ransom note" He reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded up parchment "This is a copy - the original is being examined by our DMLE" Antoinette unfolded it.

"Percy has been taken hostage. Free all the muggle born prisoners by this time next week, or we will cut his head off and send it back by owl. The Angels" She read out loud, then looked up at him.

"Clearly - as you can see - they have moved from merely attacking buildings and spreading general fear and terror to more specific activities" Lucius said "We cannot permit this to continue - my government, The Emperor and I cannot permit this to continue" He folded his arms "We demand your assistance in locating Mister Weasley, and in returning him to our country. We also demand your assistance in finding the terrorists who kidnapped him - and murdered our brave Aurors in red - and bringing them to justice" She stared at him for a few moments, then smiled.

"Minister Malfoy - while I, of course, sympathise with your situation, you understand why I can't take your accusations at face value?"

"Are you calling me a liar, Minister Duvall?" 

"Yes" She nodded "I am glad you understand me" She paused "If the letter is true, we have another five days or so before Mister Weasley is in any serious danger - I will have my law enforcement department look into this, and I will get back to you within two days"

"Minister......"

"Mister Malfoy - you are the puppet of a fascist Emperor who has come in here demanding the arrest of people you believe to be sovereign citizens of my country" She rose to her feet "You are lucky I don't just kick you out of my office and expel you from this country" Lucius stared at her, then slowly stood up.

"Two days, Minister" He said "I will hold you to that" He turned and stormed out of the office. Antoinette stared after him, then shouted for her assistant.

"Yes, Minister?" He looked in through the door.

"I will be gone for the rest of the morning - I have to go to Beauxbatons to talk to Olympe" She paused "And some of her friends"

xoxox

Forty five minutes later, she emerged from the fireplace in Olympe's office to find herself face to face with her friend.

"Good morning, Minister" Olympe smiled "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'm afraid my visit here is not a pleasant one" Antoinette said "You are going to want to sit down" Olympe stared at her for a moment, then turned and walked back round behind her desk and sat down.

"So - to what do I owe the pleasure?" She asked again.

"I had a visit from The Minister of Magic this morning" Antoinette said.

"The Minister?" Olympe asked in surprise "Lucius Malfoy actually came himself?"

"Surprised the hell out of me as well, but he wanted to make sure that I understood his message was of the utmost importance, and that I took it seriously and with all appropriate gravitas" She paused "And if what he told me is true - if - then we have some decisions to make, and I didn't want to make them without consulting you first"

"Not The Parliament?" 

"No" Antoinette shook her head "For reasons which will become apparent pretty soon" She took a deep breath and leaned forward "I'm going to tell you what The Minister told me without any judgement or commentary, and you can decide whether you believe it or not. And then you can help me decide what you want to do"

"Okay" Olympe nodded "Tell me"

"Minister Malfoy told me that two or three nights ago The Angels of Arven launched a covert terrorist attack against a member of his Ministry" Antoinette said "They attacked his house and - during the attack - killed a number of Aurors who were coming to the defence of the owner of the house" She paused "They then stormed the house, kidnapped the person living in it and are now holding them hostage. They threatened to kill him seven days later - four days from now - unless all the muggle born prisoners are released" She leaned back in her chair.

"Mister Malfoy demanded my assistance, and threatened to go to The ICW if we didn't provide it" She finished "Although I suspect that he isn't going to go to The ICW and he is going to find a different means of persuasion - one that The Parliament will not be so happy with" She shrugged "Anyway - that is the result of my meeting this morning"

"And you want to know what I know about Mister Weasley and why The Angels brought him here?" Olympe said, then she laughed at the slight look of surprise on her friend's face "Oh - sorry. You didn't tell me the name of the person they kidnapped"

"I didn't" Antoinette shook her head "But I'm guessing you know about what happened?"

"It's a little complicated" Olympe said "The Angels informed me of what happened, but they only did so the morning after - I had no idea of what they were going to do, or the steps they were going to take to do it, until after they'd returned and it was all over" Antoinette stared at her, a look of disbelief on her face.

"You've known about this for two days and you've said nothing?" She asked, her voice tinged with anger.

"Yes" Olympe nodded "But before you have me carted off to The Bastille, I think there's something you should know" She paused, then laughed "Actually there are a lot of things you should know, but right now there's one particular thing you should know" She stood up "If you'd like to come with me, I think I can tell you a different story" Antoinette stared at her for a moment, then stood up and followed her out.

xoxox

A few minutes later, Olympe stopped in front of the tapestry of the fire in Paris.

"Minister, please forgive me, but I have to cast a temporary deafness spell on you" She said "Given that you have meetings with members of The Emperor's Ministry, and with The Parliament, I am afraid I cannot let you listen to what I am about to do - it would create far too big a hole in our security" Antoinette smiled.

"I understand - and I suppose since Malfoy threatened us less than two hours ago the need for security is more important than ever" She gave a nod "Cast away" 

"Descantus" Olympe cast, then she walked round behind her and said "So I was thinking of burning the school to the ground and kidnapping your husband for a night of sex" She waited a few moments, then grinned and turned to the tapestry.

"The dark will wall and the night will rise" She whispered, and smiled as the fire started to burn. She looked back at The Minister "FINITE!" 

"What...... what is that?"

"You are about to see something very few people have seen, Minister Duvall" Olympe gestured to the now gaping black void "After you"

"Pardon me?" Antoinette stared at her incredulously.

"Just walk into the void - it will take you into another chamber" Olympe pointed at the portal "Or would you like me to go first?" Antoinette narrowed her eyes, then she turned and strode into it, vanishing a moment later. Olympe grinned, then followed her - the portal closing up after her.

xoxox

Percival looked up, then jumped to his feet in surprise when he saw a woman he didn't recognise enter the chamber of the round table.

"Who are you?" He demanded, picking his wand up and pointing it at her.

"Relax, Percival" Olympe said, walking in behind the woman "Sorry - I should have told you we were coming, but it was a somewhat unexpected visit" She turned to the woman "Percival Weasley - this is Antoinette Duvall, the First Minister of The Parliament of Mages and French Minister of Magic" She paused "Minister Duvall - Mister Percival Weasley, late of The Emperor's Ministry and Diplomatic Corps" Antoinette stared at him.

"You are Percy Weasley?"

"Percival, yes" He nodded.

"You are sure?" She asked.

"Pretty sure" He nodded again, then he looked at Olympe "Headmistress?"

"I will let Antoinette explain" She said.

"Okay" Percival turned back to The Minister "Minister?"

"Sorry" She said, shaking her head "It's just that earlier today I received a visit from Minister Lucius Malfoy, suggesting that you had been kidnapped, and that The Angels of Arven were holding you hostage and threatening to kill you unless they gave in to his demands" Percival stared at her, then looked over at Olympe, who gave a single nod.

"Oh" He frowned "Well - I could see how that might be confusing for you" He paused "I wasn't kidnapped, Minister - I came here of my own free will"

"You realise that for all I know you could just be saying that - that someone could be forcing you?" She said with a smile.

"I know" He nodded "But if you give me......" He glanced at his watch "..... half an hour then I can summon at least two members of The Angels and two members of the squad who extracted me from Britain. Providing you are willing to agree to certain conditions, you can interview them to your heart's content and I am pretty sure they will all tell the same story"

"Which I realise might mean they are all lying" Olympe said "But I think that you'll find they are all far more convincing than Lucius Malfoy ever was" Antoinette looked at Percival for a moment, then gave a single nod.

"Okay" She said.

"Well then" Percival smiled "Please have a seat, Minister, Headmistress" He paused "And if you will excuse me, I will go and find the witnesses for the defence" He turned and walked into the shadows.

"Do I want to know where he went?" Antoinette asked.

"No" Olympe shook her head "You really don't"

"Okay" Antoinette shrugged "So - where are we?"

xoxox

Percival emerged from the tapestry into the grand hall antechamber, then walked out into the grand hall. 

He set off through the corridors and made his way to a specific classroom. He looked at the door, then he turned and drew a circle on the stone opposite in chalk. 

Walking off, he found one other classroom and did the same thing, before striding off through the corridors and ending up in front of the same tapestry that Antoinette and Olympe had been stood in front of ten minutes before.

"In the beginning there was the word, and the word was 'Huh?'"

xoxox

Francis, River and Jayce walked out of their charms class, and almost at once saw the circle on the wall opposite. 

"I'll see you at lunch" Francis said "I've got to go to the library"

"Yes, dear" River gave her a kiss on the cheek, then turned, took her brother's hand and then together they walked off down the corridor. 

xoxox

Percival looked up, then smiled and stood up as Kenny and Percy came through the portal, followed by Neville and Hannah.

"You summoned us?" Percy asked.

"My apologies for that" Percival gave a contrite nod "However it appears something has come up, and I required witnesses for the defence - so to speak"

"Indeed?" Kenny looked over to where Olympe and Antoinette were sat "I assume that explains why The Minister is sat in the inner sanctum?"

"Yes" Percival nodded "But Madame Maxime assures me that she - The Minister - does not know how to get in. The security of the chamber hasn't been compromised"

"That's always good" Percy grinned, then she walked over to the table where the two women were sat and took the seat next to The Minister.

"So, if our good friend Mister Weasley needs a witness for the defence, I assume you would be the prosecution?" She asked.

"Not exactly" Olympe said.

"This morning I was informed that The Angels of Arven had kidnapped Percival Weasley, and killed a dozen or so Aurors in the process" Antoinette said "I was also informed they were holding him hostage and if that their demands were not met - that The British Ministry release every muggle born prisoner - Percival Weasley would be executed before the end of the week"

"Might I ask who told you this story?" Kenny asked.

"The Minister of Magic himself" Antoinette replied "He came all the way from Britain to see me in person"

"Wow" Hannah exclaimed "That's kind of unusual, isn't it?"

"Given he is facing potential charges in The ICW, and if he wasn't protected by various immunity agreements I would have had him arrested - or killed - on the spot I would say yes" Antoinette nodded.

"I told Minister Duvall that I had not been kidnapped, and that I was not being held against my will" Percival said "However she, quite reasonably, pointed out that that's what someone being held against their will and being threatened would say"

"So you thought if two of The Angels, and two of those who helped extract you, were to come and talk to her as well, it might be more convincing" Neville smiled.

"Yes" Antoinette nodded.

"Okay" Percy stood up and gestured for Hannah and Neville to sit down "Minister - there are three conditions we have before we will continue with this"

"I had a hunch" Antoinette said "What are they?"

"First - what is said in this chamber stays in this chamber. You can tell Mister Malfoy the results of this discussion, and the overall outcome, but the details, and our individual accounts stay in this chamber - they cannot be repeated outside of it"

"Okay" Antoinette nodded.

"Secondly - Hannah and Neville's names have to remain confidential. They have family, and if The Ministry learns they were a part of this, their lives, and the lives of their family could be in danger"

"Okay" She nodded again, then frowned "What about you and Kenny?"

"They're not our real names" Percy smiled "Even if you were to tell Mister Malfoy it wouldn't matter"

"I suppose that makes sense"

"I am glad you approve" Percy said "Thirdly, and most importantly, we would prefer you not to take this as an invitation to involve yourself in our future endeavours, unless we invite you to" Antoinette arched her eyebrows.

"Excuse me?"

"We have worked very well as an autonomous unit, and we have gone out of our way to ensure that no authority figures try to put themselves in command or control of us" Kenny said from behind Percy "This includes Albus Dumbledore, The Headmistress and the former DMLE" He paused "While we would gladly take any counsel or advice you might be willing to provide, we - The Angels, Percival and Neville - are the executive council and it will remain that way"

"It is nothing to do with you, it is just the way it is" Percy finished. Antoinette glanced at Olympe, who nodded.

"That seems reasonable" Antoinette said.

"Okay then" Percy said "Hannah, Neville - the floor is yours"

xoxox

Lucius walked into The Emperor's throne room and dropped to one knee.

"My Lord, I have demanded the return of the Weasley boy from the French Ministry" He said, his head bowed "However I believe they are going to refuse to give in to our demands"

"You think they will refuse to turn him over?"

"Yes, My Lord" Lucius nodded "If he realises the importance of what he knows, then he will tell them and then they will never let him return"

"And if he does not realise what knowledge he has?"

"His family will refuse to let him return" Lucius said reluctantly "By now they will realise what we realised too late - that he was not loyal to you, and to the new empire which we are building - and so they will have embraced him like the hero they believe him to be instead of the cowardly traitor he is" He shook his head sadly "The Weasley brats will never let him return - they will never let The Angels give him up"

"Then what would you suggest, my Minister?" 

"We execute him" Lucius said "If he understands what he knows - if he realises the importance of the knowledge he has - then he will tell someone, and they will gain the courage they have lacked for so long" He raised his head and looked at his master "We have to get to him, and stop him, before that can happen" Voldemort stared back at him, then gave a single nod.

"Take care of it, Minister"

xoxox

Antoinette looked at the group, then turned back to Percy and Kenny before looking at Percival.

"You've been working as a double agent - codenamed Angel Five - since before the war began?" She asked "And when you learned that The Ministry had become aware of your activities, you asked The Angels to extract you?"

"Yes, Minister Duvall" He nodded "I owe them my lives - the idea that they kidnapped me against my will is ludicrous" He waved his hand around "I am here of my own free will, and if I wanted to return to Britain, they wouldn't stop me"

"We would wipe his memory of a few of the things he's learned" Percy said from where she was leaning against the wall "Including this chamber, our identities and so on" She paused, then glanced at Percival "No offence"

"Oh - none taken" He grinned "If I was going to return to Voldemort as a spy I would wipe my mind as well" He paused "But if I wiped my mind then I wouldn't know that was what I was going to do, so I guess I wouldn't do it" He frowned "That was not my most well thought out thought, was it?"

"Is he really the smartest person in our group?" Kenny asked.

"Surprising, but true" Neville laughed.

"But - Percival's wonderful words aside - the point is that we didn't take him against his will, and we are not threatening to kill him, and we are not going to hack him in to little bits" Percy turned back to Antoinette.

"And the Aurors?" Antoinette asked.

"They were there to stop us, and kills us" Percy shrugged "They were all Death Eaters masquerading as law enforcement officials - I can't speak for Kenny or the others, but I have no regrets about our actions and the fact they are dead means a dozen or so less racist bigots in the world"

"Ditto" Kenny added.

"Us too" Hannah and Neville said in unison.

"They were there to arrest me, torture me, give me a show trial then torture me to death" Percival said darkly "If I could go back and kill them again I would" Antoinette looked around the group again, then turned back to Olympe.

"Anything to add, old friend?"

"Old?" Olympe asked, sounding offended.

"Anything to add, my child-like friend who was born yesterday?" Antoinette said with a smirk.

"I have faith in The Angels" Olympe said calmly "That they will always act for the good of all, and that if they are ever going to do something they consider wrong, bad or evil then they will tell you before they do it and they will have a very good reason for doing it" She paused "If you turn them over to The Emperor, it will go badly for us all"

"Very well" Antoinette turned back to The Angels "Given our previous agreement, what can I tell Minister Malfoy, or whatever flunky he sends back to get my answer?" Percy and Blake looked over at Percival.

You can tell them that I am here of my own free will, that I have been serving as a double agent all this time and that The Angels rescued me from The Ministry hit squad that came to capture and kill me" Percival said.

"You can not tell them the names of The Angels, the names of the people who took part in the extraction, what Percival is doing now or where he is" Kenny said "Although I am pretty sure they probably know we are based out of Beauxbatons there's no point in confirming it"

"Do I want to know what you are going to be doing?" Antoinette asked, looking at Percival.

"No" He shook his head "Plausible deniability is your friend"

"That's true" She replied, then stood up "I will do my best to protect all of you, but no promises" She turned to Olympe "Given that I have no idea where we are, or how I got in here, would you care to walk me out?"

"I would consider it a pleasure" Olympe walked her over to the portal and lead her through. After it had closed out, Kenny looked at the others.

"They're going to be coming for us" He said "We should prepare for an attack"

xoxox

The following day, Antoinette sent a message to The Ministry, care of Lucius Malfoy, outlining what she had learned and pointing out that she was not going to do anything do help him retrieve his lost member of staff. 

In addition, she was comfortable with the actions of The Angels and felt under no compulsion to take any action against them.

Less than half an hour later, an owl returned with a message saying The Angels were criminals, and that The Ministry would no longer stand by and let them carry out their terrorist actions. That the time of The Angels was over and now law and order would prevail.

xoxox

"So that's where we are" Blake addressed every member of the rescued, as well as a number of Aurors, former Ministry staff members and one or two Beauxbatons' students "We believe there are pretty good odds that The Emperor is going to launch an attack against the school to try to retrieve Percival" She paused "Or to kill him"

"Why?" Amelia asked.

"That, I am afraid, is classified" Blake said, blushing slightly "And if I can be honest, we're not expecting all of you to come to the defence of the school - we have a plan to defend it, and those of you who are involved already know who you are"

"But what about the rest of us" Marius raised his hand "This is our school, and we are not just going to let them come here and destroy it" Blake smiled.

"We appreciate the sentiment, Marius, I am afraid that you are not prepared for the army they are going to send" Her face became serious "If they are coming, they will be coming mob handed and they will be sending their best" She shook her head "We are going to war - and it's not going to be pretty" Marius stared back at her, then gave a brief nod.

"However what you can do is help with the....... the civil defence side of things" Blake continued "If Beauxbatons is attacked you can help move everyone into more secure areas - I know the school has its defences, but it would be better if the students were moved into the inner parts of the school rather than staying near the outside" Marius nodded and smiled.

"Okay - we'll issue instructions before the end of the day -- if they're going to attack it will be after dark" She paused "Stupid, not dumb" She looked around "Of course this is all volunteer - we have no desire to force anyone to do anything they don't want to , and no one is going to be forced to fight"

"We know" Cho said "But if they are coming to attack us - to kill us - then do you really think any of us are just going to stand by and let it happen?" She shook her head "We were trained better than that" Blake smiled.

"I suppose you were" She said "Anyway - after classes today, everyone should get some sleep, and then we'll wake you up tonight around two o'clock" She paused "Class dismissed" She realised everyone was staring at her "Sorry - got a bit carried away there"

xoxox

Eight hours later, Neville, Percy, Blake and Kenny lead four teams of eight people of the school, and lined them up around the school.

"Each one of us will take one team to each side of the school" Neville said "When the Death Eaters arrive, we'll try to convince them to leave - and we'll attract the attention of the other teams" He waved his hand and transformed himself into a red haired boy with bright purple eyes "Team One - with me. My name is Julian from now on"

"Yes, boss" The members of Team One replied, and followed him. Kenny and Blake lead the second and third teams off, while Percy stayed at the main entrance to the school with Team Four. 

She started to pace back and forth, then she turned as she saw a series of flashes in the distance.

"Head's up" She whispered.

"We see them" Blake and Kenny both replied, then Blake added "They only seem to be on your side"

"We'll see" Percy replied. She fell silent, then watched as a group of cloaked figures emerged out of the darkness.

"Disaminus" She whispered, camouflaging her team. They all pressed themselves against the wall of the school, staying as silent as they could, and continued to watch in silence as the figures in black cloaks walked slowly towards the school.

When they were within ten feet, she cancelled the spell on herself, then took a step forward.

"Greetings" She said, then bit her lip to stop herself snorting in amusement as three of the Death Eaters jumped in surprise "I realise you are here to get Percival Weasley back, and to possibly kill a lot of people in the process, but I am very much afraid I can't let you do that" She stared at them "So you can either leave now, or you can leave later - it is up to you" They stared back at her, then one of them took a step forward.

"Hand over Percival Weasley, and we will let you live" The figure - who Percy realised was a woman - said.

"No" Percy replied.

"You will hand over Percival Weasley, or we will kill you all" The woman said.

"No" Percy replied again.

"I get the feeling you aren't taking me seriously, young lady" The woman said "Do you know who I am?"

"No" Percy said, trying not to smirk.

"My name is Bellatrix LeStrange, and I am one of the most feared Death Eaters in the known world" The woman said "Now give me Percy Weasley, or suffer the consequences"

"Make me" Percy replied, sliding her wand into her hand. Bellatrix stared at her for a moment, then drew her wand.

"On your own head be...."

"STUPEFY!"  
"DIFFINDO!"  
"REDUCTO!"  
"BOMBARDIA MAXIMUS!"

A hail of spells flew at the ground where the group of Death Eaters stood, forcing them to dodge out of the way.

"I did try to warn you" Percy said with a grin, then she turned and ran around the corner, where she - and the rest of her group - unleashed another barrage of spells. 

The Death Eaters all scattered - hiding behind various objects - and started firing back. 

"Are there any others" Percy whispered.

"No" Blake replied.

"Not that I can see" Neville said. 

"No" Kenny responded.

"Neville - back up Blake" Percy said "Kenny - keep an eye out on the other sides"

"Yes, boss" All three voices came back at once, then Percy turned her attention back to the fight - the Death Eaters were being kept at bay.

"Keep them fighting" She said "We just need five more minutes or so, and then everything should be okay....."

"AVADA KEDAVRA" A killing curse flew past her ear and she dropped to the ground.

"Then again......." She trailed off "Perhaps I should pay a little more attention" She smirked, then rolled on to her front and sent off a series of five blasting curses, crashing into several barricades "Take that, bitches!"

xoxox

Olympe stared out of the window of her office at the fire fight going on in her front yard. 

"I have to hand it to The Angels" She said to herself "They have managed to keep the Death Eaters away from the school - there's been a tiny bit of damage but compared to what I thought was coming....... they really do know what they are doing" She shook her head, then looked over her shoulder as her floo burst into life.

"The night agent on duty said you wanted to talk to me" Antoinette's voice came through the fireplace.

"The school is under attack - there is a squad of Death Eaters and they are trying to kill us" Olympe said.

"Death Eaters? Not Aurors?" Antoinette asked "You are sure?"

"I can see Bellatrix, the Lestrange brothers, Dolohov, Yaxley and...... I am fairly sure that is Narcissa Malfoy at the back" Olympe replied "Ministry staff and advisers - but they aren't dressed as Aurors, they are dressed as Death Eaters"

Well isn't that interesting" Antoinette said, and Olympe could almost see her smiling "I take it you'd like me to call out the guard?"

"The Angels and their associates are holding them off, but yes - if you could come via the main entrance" She paused "And if you could come like the glory on the morning...... we could do with numbers"

"We'll be there in three minutes" Antoinette replied, then the fireplace went out. Olympe blinked.

"Goodbye. Minister" She said, then she walked back and looked out of the window.

xoxox

"STUPEFY!"

"REDUCTO!"

"DIFFINDO! DIFFINDO!"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" 

"INCENDIO FLAMMANUS!"

"CRUCIO!"

"This is getting ridiculous" Neville and Blake were crouched down behind a concrete bird bath as their teams flung curses that were mostly distractions at the Death Eaters "Are you sure your plan is going to work?" Blake smiled.

"Have you ever known us to be wrong?" She asked quietly, then she jumped up "CONFRINGO! CONFRINGO! INCENDIO!" She ducked down again "Apart from that incident with the duck, have I ever been wrong?"

"That is true" Neville admitted, then he sent a trio of blasting curses into the barricade that Bellatrix was sheltering behind, shattering it and forcing her to retreat. 

"So I think you can trust us for just..... a little...... longer!" Blake finished, then she grinned as another series of flashes lit up the sky. 

xoxox

Antoinette appeared just outside the ward boundaries of the school, then lead her team through the gates and up the path. 

"On zero - only aim at the grass and the ground beneath them - we want them to flee, not to end up dead" She said. Then - after everyone nodded - she smiled.

"Three. Two. One. ZERO!"

xoxox

Bellatrix peered over the top of the barricade she was hiding behind, then slowly raised her wand.

**"REDUCTO!"**

She ducked down again as dirt rained down on her and the rest of the Death Eaters from over thirty blasting curses ripping the ground to shreds.

Turning, she saw thirty five figures in blue robes emerging from the shadows, lead by one in a dark blue robe.

**"REDUCTO!"**

Another thirty blasting curses ripped into the ground, churning it up and covering them up in more dirt and grass.

"STUPEFY!" The lead figure blasted Bellatrix off her feet, sending her crashing her into the barricade.

"I ADVISE THE REST OF YOU TO LEAVE. NOW!" Antoinette bellowed "Or we will kill you where you stand" There was a moment's silence, then a series of apparation cracks followed as one by one the Death Eaters vanished. She strode forward and stood over Bellatrix.

"Wake her up" She said as she was joined by one of her Aurors, Neville and The Angels.

"Aguamenti!" Neville blasted Bellatrix in the face with a jet of water. A moment later she woke up, spluttering and tried to grab for her wand.

"Accio wand" Percy said, summoning it. 

"Now, Madame LeStrange" Antoinette said "I don't know if you know who I am, but let me introduce myself - I am Antoinette Duvall, First Minister of The Parliament of Mages, Minister of Magic for The Republic of France and someone who does not take kindly to having her country invaded by Death Eaters" She stared down at the woman in black.

"I'm not going to kill you, or even arrest you" She continued "What I am going to do is ask you to take a message to your master - this crosses a line. As soon as I am certain that this school is secure, I am going to return to Parliament and ask them to declare war on your country" Blake gasped, but Antoinette ignored her.

"You attacked a school full of children - that is not something I can forgive, or forget" She said darkly "So go, and when Lord Voldemort is on his knees begging for mercy, and when he dies, screaming in agony I hope he remembers that this is the day when he signed his own death warrant" She took a step back "Get up" Bellatrix glared at her for a moment, then slowly got to her feet.

"Give her back her wand" Antoinette said, and - as Percy did so - every single Auror and student raised their wands and pointed them at Bellatrix.

"Now go - and remember what I told you" Antoinette said. Bellatrix smiled, then turned to The Angels.

"We will meet again" She said "And then I will kill you all"

"We look forward to it" Blake replied, then Bellatrix turned on the spot and vanished.


	16. Project Mordor

Olympe emerged from the main doors of the school and came to a halt at the stop of the stairs. She surveyed the devastation, then slowly walked down and over to where Antoinette was talking to Blake, Kenny and Percy.

"Madame Minister" She said with a polite nod "It's rare you venture into the field - especially against such an army of darkness"

"I thought it was important that I sent a message, and that I do it in person" Antoinette replied with a wry smile "A message that was made a lot easier to send by these three - their cover fire was very well organised"

"We aim to please" Percy said drily.

"Any prisoners?" Olympe asked "Because the dungeons....... don't really exist - the nuns were not big on locking people in the dungeons as it turns out" She paused "We could convert a classroom I suppose, but I'm not sure it would serve all that well"

"No prisoners" Antoinette shook her head "We let them go, and I sent Bellatrix LeStrange back with a message" She paused "Oh - France is also now at war"

"Pardon me?" Olympe stared at her.

"Not the whole of France" Antoinette smiled "And not officially - but once I get back to my office, I am summoning The Parliament to session to tell them that Lord Voldemort has crossed the line and, as Minister of Magic and First Minister of The Parliament of Mages, I am declaring war on him and his entire thrice damned country" 

"That should wake up a few of them" Olympe laughed.

"Minister?" Blake raised her hand "While I am all for declaring war on Dark Lords and genocidal war lords, there's something you should know"

"There is?" Antoinette asked.

"There is" Blake nodded. She looked at Percy, Kenny and Neville and they all nodded, then she turned back to The Minister "Can you return here tomorrow afternoon?"

"Do you mean this afternoon?" Olympe asked "It's just passed midnight"

"No - tomorrow" She glanced at her watch "The fourth"

"Why?" Blake bit her lip, then glanced at Olympe.

"Do you trust her?" She asked the Headmistress.

"With my life" Olympe nodded. Blake glanced at the other two Angels.

"Yes" Kenny nodded.

"Yes" Percy agreed. Blake smiled, then walked over to Antoinette. She stood on her tiptoes and whispered something in The Minister's ear. Antoinette stared at her.

"You're serious?" She asked.

"Yes" Blake replied.

"Okay - I will be here" Antoinette said.

"Thank you" Blake glanced at her watch again "Now - now we should all get to bed, because otherwise Madame Maxime's staff will have an army of useless zombies on her hands tomorrow" She turned and lead the rest of her friends back into the school. Antoinette watched them go, then turned to Olympe.

"Do you want me to leave a squad of Aurors here?" She asked.

"I don't think they'll be back" Olympe shook her head "They've tried and failed - they'll need a little time to lick their wounds" She smiled "So what did they tell you?"

"Sorry" Antoinette shook her head "But I will see you tomorrow" She turned to face her troops "Lets go - and thank you all for your work tonight"

xoxox

Later that day, as Neville and Percival walked into the grand hall for breakfast, Olympe fell into step with them.

"Is everyone okay this morning?" She asked "No injuries?"

"They didn't touch anyone" Neville said with a smile "When The Angels make a plan, they don't leave much to chance"

"So what was left to chance?" Olympe arched her eyebrows.

"The Death Eaters might have fought the Aurors, you might have decided to leader the staff out and try to help us" Percival shrugged "A small chance, but a chance none the less" Olympe rolled her eyes.

"Can I ask one more question?"

"Aside from that one?" Neville said with a laugh.

"Obviously" Olympe sighed "What did Blake tell The Minister?" Neville smiled.

"If you think about it, Headmistress, you already know" He replied "And if magical France is going to war against The Cloaked One, then there is definitely something the Head of Government would need to know" Olympe stared back at him, then her eyes widened.

"Really?" She asked in surprise.

"Really" Neville nodded.

"Well....." She started, then trailed off "..... I suppose tomorrow is going to prove very interesting"

"That's what we're hoping for" Neville smirked.

xoxox

The following afternoon, Olympe lead Antoinette through the building and up to a different tapestry.

"Do I need to close my ears again?" The Minister asked with a slight smile.

"I think not, this time" The Minister replied "And, if I can be honest, you didn't need to last time" She looked at the tapestry depicting the ancient Greek battle and said "When these things are held to be true, the Time of Angels shall be upon us" Antoinette watched in fascination as the troops retreated across the cloth and black portal appeared. 

"After you, Madame Minister" Olympe said.

"Thank you" Antoinette took a step forward and walked into the void.

xoxox

She found herself in a large room, with a raised platform at the end with rows of seats in front of it. A moment later, she felt Olympe walk up behind her.

"What did you mean by I didn't need to last time?" She asked, not turning "And this is not where I was last time, is it?"

"No" Olympe shook her head, walking forward and taking a seat "And as for the other thing, I will wait for The Angels to explain that, if you don't mind" Antoinette sat down beside her.

"So where are we?" She looked around.

"These are apparently rooms from when this place was a convent" Olympe said "During the revolution, they were used to hide people who were fleeing from the less enlightened members of our government" She paused "Kind of ironic, given what we are using them for now"

"Quite" Antoinette said with a laugh.

"Rumour has it they were also part of the underground railroad during World War Two" A voice said from their left, and they turned to see Kenny, Blake, Percy, Neville and Percival walk in "Although we have only found one piece of evidence to support that"

"It would make sense" Antoinette said "The then government was less....... picky about maintaining the statute than some other governments I can name"

"Anyway - as fascinating as recent and not so recent history is" Kenny said, then glanced at Blake "Especially to some of us" She stuck her tongue out at him "That's not why we are here" He gestured for Neville and Percival to take a seat, then he and Percy sat down as well, while Blake walked up on to the platform.

"This is the first of two meetings" She said "The second one is going to be a much larger one - probably involving all of the former Aurors, Ministry staff, Order members, all of the rescued and any Beauxbatons' students who wish to attend. It will also be open to any of Minister Duvall's Aurors and other associates who want to come along"

"Wow" Antoinette exclaimed, then blushed "Sorry - that wasn't very Ministerial, was it?"

"Don't worry - when we tell you what this is about, I suspect you will have even more to say" Blake smiled "The reason we are holding such a small meeting first is that you all know our identities - our real identities - and we three trust that you will not abuse this information, or try to use it to make us do things we are not ready to do" She paused "Which is more than can be said for other people we know"

"I'll take 'Who is Albus Dumbledore for twenty, Blake'" Percy called out, making her laugh.

"And once we tell you what we are planning, you will understand why we want to keep our identities secret, and why we wanted to tell you this plan first - so that hopefully you can help us when we come to the second meeting" She paused "I understand we are asking a lot of you, but - not to sound to immodest - we believe we have proven ourselves, and that this is not too much to ask" 

"I suppose that depends on what you are asking" Olympe said.

"I suppose that's true" Blake took a deep breath "We have one more mission - Project Mordor. This will be the codename for the invasion and liberation of magical Britain, and the execution of Lord Voldemort"

There was a long period of silence in the room, then Antoinette raised her hand.

"Minister - you realise that just because we are in school, you don't have to raise your hand to ask a question, right?" Neville said with a slight grin.

"I do" Antoinette said "But I thought if I gave into my first response, you might all learn a lot of swear words you'd never heard before" Everyone laughed.

"So - what is your question?" Blake asked.

"I thought that Lord Voldemort's residence was unknown" Antoinette replied "That it was heavily warded and protected with multiple charms to prevent its location from being given away?"

"It is" Percival said "But, Minister, did you never wonder why Voldemort and why Lucius were so desperate to get me back?" She gazed at him "I am quite a low level employee really - just a humble functionary. Sure - I am a traitor to the magical government of Britain and that might get their goat, but really can I do that much damage?"

"You know where he is?" Antoinette gasped.

"He is at LeStrange Manor" Percival nodded "I know the address, the location and most of the ward schemes - assuming they haven't been changed since I left" He paused "We can get in, we can find him and we can kill him until he dies, then - if we feel like it - we can turn him into an inferius and kill him again" He looked around "Well - everyone has to have a hobby"

"He's not wrong" Blake said "But the point is we can - finally - retake Britain and hand it back to its legitimate government" She paused "But there are two problems"

"Just two?" Olympe said.

"Just two" Blake nodded "The first is that Dumbledore believes only Harry Potter or Neville Longbottom can kill Voldemort. So he cannot be in the party that goes to The Dark Tower - our codename for LeStrange Manor"

"Because if he sees Kenny kill Voldemort, he will start to get suspicious" Antoinette nodded "Okay - when you arrange the battle parties, I will ensure that anyone you want to take will either already know, or will be sworn to secrecy about what happens"

"Much appreciated" Blake smiled "The second problem is that after the last war, so many Death Eaters escaped justice by pretending to be under the imperius" She paused "You can't become a Death Eater against your will - even under the Imperius Curse. It has to be a willing act"

"You are sure?" Olympe asked.

"It binds your soul to Voldemort's" Percy said darkly "You have to be conscious of what you are doing - and you cannot do it if you have a pure soul" She paused "By which I mean you already have to have killed"

"Death Eaters escaped justice, and less than a decade later Britain fell to the darkness" Blake continued "So we're not going to let that happen again" She looked around "Anyone who has The Dark Mark dies. No excuses, no exceptions"

"Dumbledore won't like that" Antoinette said.

"Dumbledore took an oath to follow our orders" Kenny said.

"That is a good point" Olympe smiled.

"However we are not monsters, and we are not dictators" Kenny said "Anyone who thinks they cannot carry out this policy can stay behind - we won't think any less of them and neither will anyone who goes with us"

"But make no mistake - anyone who comes with us will be expected to execute Death Eaters, and they will also be expected to act in the defence of the group" Percy said "We understand that there will be casualties, but no one - NO ONE - is going to die to save the life of a member of Voldemort's army" She stared at Antoinette "Is that clear, Minister?"

"Clear as crystal, Madame Angel" Antoinette nodded.

"Very well" Blake said "Then this is what we are planning........"

xoxoxo 

The following night, as the evening meal came to an end, Olympe stood up.

"If I might have your attention?" She said, and the hall fell silent at once "In ninety minutes, there will be a special meeting back in this hall. Everyone is invited who wishes to come. It will be hosted by The Angels, The Minister of Magic and myself" She paused "That is all - you are all dismissed"

She sat down again as the students and staff started to file out, then smiled to herself as she saw Albus walking up the grand hall towards her. 

"Looks like I owe Neville twenty five crowns" She said to herself. She picked up her spoon and jammed it into her sponge cake, then looked up when he stopped in front of her.

"Might I ask what this meeting is going to be about?" He asked calmly.

"No" She said "You can find out what it is about with everyone else" Albus stared back at her.

"Have I done something to offend you?" He inquired.

"No" She smiled "Why do you ask?"

"No reason" He looked at her for a moment longer, then turned and walked back down the hall vanishing through the doors. 

"Do you think he will be a problem?" A voice asked from behind her.

"Do you even need to ask?" She replied without turning round "And tell Neville I will pay him the money tomorrow"

"Will do" 

xoxox

Eighty minutes later, The Angels, along with Neville and Percival, emerged from the antechamber and into the grand hall to find a few people milling around. 

"Please take your seats......" Blake started, then trailed off "No - scratch that" She paused then smiled "If you could all stand against the far wall for a moment?" Everyone moved backwards and pushed themselves against the back wall.

"Percy? If you could give me a hand?" Blake glanced over her shoulder?"

"Of course" Percy took a step forward, then they both raised their wands.

"WINGUARDIUM LEVIOSA!" They both yelled, and the benches and tables started floating and levitating. Within a few moments, they had moved all the tables to the sides of the hall, and lined up all the benches across it.

"Okay - that was harder than I thought it would be" Blake said, sitting down on the staff table. Percy came and sat down beside her "Good job we have ten minutes before we've got to conduct the meeting"

"You can do a lot in ten minutes" Percy waggled her eyebrows.

"In front of the entire school?" Blake smirked "You are getting bold in your old age" Percy laughed.

"Maybe not" She admitted "So - are you ready to present Project Mordor?"

"I am" She nodded "I am ready for this to be over"

"You realise there will be protests and objections" Percy saw Albus walk into the hall "Probably quite a lot"

"I actually do know that" Blake nodded "But given that we aren't returning, and that we might all be dead this time next week, I really don't care that much"

"I can see how that could be an advantage" Percy laughed, then glanced at her watch "Five minutes"

"Okay" She bounded to her feet and walked over to Neville, Kenny and Percival "I'll explain most of this, with help from the other two, but I might need some help for a few bits"

"Consider it done" Percival smiled.

"We live to serve" Neville added.

"You need to get a better life" Blake rolled her eyes, then she, Kenny and Percy walked back to the middle of the staff table, cleared away some of the objects on it and then climbed up onto it.

"Good evening" Blake called out "I know we said we would start now, but if you could just give us five minutes, it turns out we have one more problem to solve" They climbed off the table again, then levitated it out of the way. Then Percy and Kenny sat down, whilst Blake walked to the side and brought back a podium, then stood on it.

"That's better - means I am less like to fall off and die" She said "Which would be a fairly appalling way to start this meeting" She looked around "So I realise hits is an usual way to start this meeting, but before we can get onto the important things, I am afraid everyone here will need to take an oath of silence. Nothing that is discussed here can be discussed outside of this room - the oath we will ask you to take will prevent you from doing so without the express permission from one of us five"

"What if we don't want to take such an oath?" An Auror at the back asked.

"You know where the door is" Kenny gestured to the double doors at the far end of the hall "You are all here of your own free will - we are not going to force you to stay against your will" There was a moment's silence, then she smiled "Very well - everyone raise your wand and repeat after me 'I swear I will not repeat anything I learn in this room tonight without the express permission of The Angels - the magical will impose its will on me once I complete the oath so mote it be'" She watched as nearly a hundred and fifty mages repeated her words, and a hundred and fifty wands lit up. 

"Thank you" She smiled "So now - on with the motley, as they say" She paused "Actually I don't know anyone who says that, other than the sixth doctor in one very regrettable episode, but anyway......." She shook her head.

"We are here tonight to outline what will hopefully be the final mission of The Angels of Arven - codenamed Project Mordor" She paused "It is codenamed thus because it will be the invasion and liberation of magical Britain and the destruction of The Dark Tower - the location where Voldemort has made his headquarters - and the execution of The Emperor of magical Britain" There was a wave of gasps and exclamations through the hall.

"I know - given some of our previous statements - why this comes as such a surprise" Blake continued "However the reason we have been waiting for so long is that the location of The Dark Tower has been the single most closely guarded secret of The Emperor's Ministry - and without it, launching a full scale invasion to retake the country would be a total waste of time" She glanced at Percival.

"The moment the scale of the invasion became clear, The Emperor would retreat to The Dark Tower and we would never be able to get to him" He said "We could burn the country to the ground, and he would remain safe in his bunker - the people would suffer and he'd be able to come back and take over again"

"We've always known this would be the case, which is why we have always refused to stage an invasion" Blake gave a nod of thanks to Percival "But we now know where The Dark Tower is, and we know how to get past the wards. We can - finally - launch a strike team against The Emperor"

"But, of course, there is a problem" Percy said, then she stood up. Blake stood to one side as Percy approached the podium.

"There is no way to be sure that if we attack The Dark Tower The Emperor will be there" She looked around "It's unlikely that he spends his days there - he probably has better things to do"

"Most genocidal warlords do" Neville interjected.

"Quite" Percy replied with a smile "So we need to find a way to force The Emperor back to The Dark Tower - to ensure he is there" She paused "Which is where all of you come in"

"When we say Project Mordor is the invasion and liberation of magical Britain, we mean a full scale invasion" Blake said, taking the podium as Percy retook her seat "We have a set of seven targets, aside from The Dark Tower, and we are going to send fifteen of you against each of them - more or less" She waved her hand and a virtual projector screen appeared behind her, with a list of six places on it.

"Our intention is to cripple magical Britain and bring it to its knees" She said "And I realise that if our plan succeeds - if the hit squad we send to The Dark Tower executes Voldemort and any of his cronies we find there - then the next Minister is going to have to rebuild it, but we believe that the benefits outweigh the cost" She smiled "And the targets we have picked will convince Minister Malfoy that this is a full scale invasion - sending The Emperor to The Dark Tower"

"Miss......." Albus stood up, but Blake raised her hand.

"Save all questions to the end please, Mister Dumbledore" She said "We have a lot to get through, and if we are stopping every two minutes to answer questions we will be here until five days after liberation day" Albus nodded, then sat down.

"You will be given your team assignments at the end of the briefing - we've worked out the team assignments very carefully, and we are reluctant to let you swap. We will consider it if you think there will be conflicts of personality, but it will mean swapping you with someone else, so any requests will have to be very persuasive" She paused "If you wish to be left out of the mission, you can - we are not going to force anyone to do anything against their will" She looked around.

"There are two other things to consider when making your choice" She said "Once we launch our invasion, The Emperor will send his forces out to kill us all. They will come in force and they will come with lethal intent. They will not hesitate to kill each and every one of us on sight" She paused "So we will expect you all to do the same - when you fight, you fight to kill. We are not expecting any prisoners - no Death Eaters alive to pretend they were under the imperius curse, no one dying because they were trying to save the life of an enemy" She folded her arms "I want everyone who is here now to come back, and if they don't I do not want it to be because they were trying to save the life of someone who would kill them without a second thought"

"Miss Blake......" 

"As I said - hold all questions to the end" Blake waved her hand, then pointed her hand at the screen behind her.

"Diagon Alley - there are four targets that need to be destroyed" She smiled "Flourish and Blotts, Madame Malkins, Charters' Rare Books and The Apothecary. Go to town on them - blow them up, burn them to the ground, whatever you want. The other shops are to be left alone unless the shop owners fight back - then you can defend yourselves" She waved her hand again.

"Knockturn Alley" She paused, then shrugged "Do whatever you want - you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy and the sooner it is burned to the ground, the better"

"Platform Nine and Three Quarters - The Express was recently upgraded with segregated carriages. Muggle Born students are all forced into the last one - even the first years. The half-blood students are also forced into a single carriage, while the pure-blood students get the other twelve carriages to spread out" She shook her head "Needless to say, the trolley-witch doesn't visit the last two carriages any more" She paused "The Express has to be destroyed, the portal closed down and the platform wrecked" She waved her hand again.

"Almost every shop in Hogsmeade has stopped serving muggle born students - we want them to be burned to the ground. The only exceptions are The Hogshead and QQS - only go after them if the owners fight back"

"The Ministry is self-evident - we don't expect you to do much damage, but feel free to cause chaos and mayhem" She paused "According to Percival, anyone who is working there is a collaborator - there is no one working there against their will. If they attack you, they are fair game. If not then leave them alone and let the next Ministry sort them out" She glanced at Percival, who nodded.

"And finally there is The Office of The Muggle Born Registration and Detention Commission" She closed her eyes "This is the most heinous creation of The Emperor's Ministry and has to be wiped from the face of the earth. Percival says there may be prisoners being held there, so try to find them and free them. But I cannot overstate how much this place has to burn - it is an offence to all humanity" She took a deep breath.

"The final two teams are possibly the most important" She paused "Neville?"

"Thank you" Neville stood up and walked up to the podium, while Blake took a seat with the other Angels.

"The second of the last two places is obviously going to be The Dark Tower. Percival has given us the ward scheme, and over the next few days we are going to work through the best way to get in and get to the throne room and kill the crap out of everyone who is there" He paused "But since we know who will make up team eight, there is very little point in discussing it here" He saw Albus frown, and made a silent bet with himself that they would be hearing from him before the end of the meeting.

"So we come to the first of the last two places" He waved his hand and the word "HOGWARTS" appeared on the screen behind him.

"A number of Death Eaters have been stationed at Hogwarts, including Severus Snape, The Carrows and Dolores Umbridge. In addition, if and when The Dark Tower falls, Voldemort will most likely retreat to Hogwarts for his final stand - so we have to ensure he can't" He looked around "We have a number of former staff, and we have a lot of the history, so I am confident we can take down the wards pretty quickly and after that we can storm the castle" He smiled "We also have the ability to lock all the students in their common rooms, so we will be free to attack and kill anyone who fights back"

"You would kill the staff?" Albus asked.

"If they are fighting against people trying to liberate the castle, yes" Neville said "If anyone goes to Hogwarts, they have to be ready to kill. The Emperor has placed his most faithful in Hogwarts and they will fight for him" He paused "The group that goes to Hogwarts will crash the wards, storm the castle, kill anyone who gets in the way and then re-establish a new set of wards to prevent The Emperor from using it as a fall back place" He smiled "Once we plant our flag in Hogwarts, the final team will launch the attack on The Dark Tower" He looked at Blake, who stood up and retook the podium as Neville retook his seat on the front bench.

"So - that is our plan" She said "Such as it is - we are keeping it deliberately vague because the six groups who are essentially causing a diversion can do more or less what they want. The group that will attack Hogwarts has a slightly more precise brief, because there are children involved and while we are going to ensure the Death Eaters are not allowed to escape we have no desire to harm the innocent. And the group that are going to storm The Dark Tower have a very, very specific brief but that is classified since only they need to know about it" She paused "And now while I am sure I will come to regret this, are there any questions?" A forest of hands shot up.

"Director Bones?"

"Do we have permission to use unforgivable curses?" She asked "We are - nominally - French citizens"

"You do" Antoinette replied "Everyone who takes part in Project Mordor will be temporarily seconded to the French War Office for the duration of the project" She paused "As for the fallout with The British Ministry, that will be for whoever takes over the job when Britain has been returned to British hands"

"Do you know who that will be?" Minerva asked.

"We do" Blake said "We have approached three people to take over the three head of Government roles for six months - after which elections will be held and anyone is free to stand.

"Can I ask who?" Minerva asked. Blake looked at various people in the audience, then smiled.

"Director Bones will take over as Head of The Wizengamot, Percival Weasley will become Minister of Magic, and Neville Longbottom will take over as Headmaster of Hogwarts with Filius Flitwick as his deputy" Blake announced "All three have also agreed to introduce a new law that no one can serve in more than one of these posts at once, and that appointments to the position of Headmaster is subject to the review of Minister and Chief Warlock, as well as the board" She paused "The exact arrangement will be up to the new government - we aren't British citizens and have no desire to be - but everyone we have spoken to feel that the current situation is what lead to....... the current situation and it needs improving" She looked around "Mister Dumbledore?"

"I wasn't consulted about this - as Headmaster......"

"You aren't the Headmaster, Mister Dumbledore"

"As Headmaster and Chief Warlock......"

"You aren't the Chief Warlock, Mister Dumbledore"

"Are you going to let me ask a question, Miss Blake, or are you going to keep talking over me?" Albus stared at her.

"What is your question?"

"You are planning on making sweeping changes to the government of magical Britain and yet you have not consulted anyone who is involved in it. Might I ask why?"

"We have spoken to Director Bones, to Mister Weasley, to Mister Flitwick, to other former Ministry staff and Aurors" Blake said calmly "We believe we have a well rounded view of how The Ministry works - or worked" She paused "You are free to stand for election in six months, once the country has been rebuilt and recovered from the war"

"Why was I not considered for one of the interim posts?" He asked.

"Would you like the honest answer or the polite one?" She stared at him.

"Whichever you think is best" He replied.

"The government that has run Britain for the past two decades is the one that let it fall into hell. It did nothing as Voldemort's supporters were given pardons just because they had money - did nothing as they were given places in government, in society and even in Hogwarts just because they had friends in high places. It did nothing to prevent the second rise of Voldemort and everything to encourage it. And then - when Voldemort rose - it did nothing to stop him which is why we are all here, planning the invasion of another sovereign nation" She stared at him "You were a major part of the government, Mister Dumbledore, and you were a major part of why your country has fallen into hell and why we have to clean it up" Albus stared back at her.

"May I ask one more question?"

"Of course"

"Who decided on the no mercy policy? That we will be killing people rather than taking them prisoner?" He asked.

"Lucius Malfoy is recorded as using over three dozen unforgivable curses during the first war" Percy said from her seat "Including against children as young as two. There is one report that he got a five year old girl to murder her parents and burn down their house before getting her to drown herself" She paused "And yet he walked away without a mark on his record - The Wizengamot and The Ministry took no action against him"

"What is your point, Miss Blake?" Albus demanded.

"The fact so many Death Eaters, like Lucius, were allowed to go free without any punishment is the reason we are in the mess we are in now" Blake said "We have a lot of friends in this school, and I do not mean to see them grow up, have kids and watch their kids have to fight another war like this in twenty years time. We settle this once and for all - when we go to Britain, we settle all family business"

"And if I think you're wrong? If I think that wholesale slaughter is wrong and that you are as bad as Voldemort?" Albus asked.

"Then you are free to stay here and not come to Britian with us" Blake replied "We are not going to make anyone do anything they don't want to" She stared at him "Do you have any more questions, Mister Dumbledore, or can we move on to someone else?" Albus glared at her for a moment, then sat down.

"Mister Weasley" Blake said, then smiled "Mister Ron Weasley that is - apologies. I had forgotten there were so many of you"

"No worries" Ron stood up "You mentioned prisoners at the......"

"MBRDC" Percy supplied.

"Yeah - that place" He paused "Is that just a guess or do you know anything?"

"I'm really sorry, Ron, but we don't know anything for sure" Blake said apologetically. She looked down at Percival. He stood up, and turned to face the rest of the audience.

"The records of The Commission were public - who was arrested, who was classified by what status and so forth - but there was another branch" He said "A branch that dealt with enemies of the state, and unfortunately that was incredibly classified so I couldn't find anything about them" He paused "The one thing I do know is that William never showed up on any execution reports, which I realise isn't much comfort, but it is something"

"I suppose" Ron sighed "Thank you" He sat down again, and Percival did a moment later.

"Any more questions?" Blake looked around "Miss Bones?"

"When will we get group assignments?"

"Right now" Blake drew her wand, then turned to a stack of parchments behind her while Percy waved her hand at the projector and the names of the first seven places appeared on the projected screen again, this time with a number next to each of them.

"You will received a piece of parchment with a number on - at the same time that number will be recorded against our list. This will be the group you are a part of" She paused "As I said "We have arranged these names for a good reason, and if you want to swap with someone else you have to convince them, and make a good case for it. However if you want to stay home from the mission you are free to do so" She looked around "Anyone who wants to leave can do so now - before we hand out the assignments" She waited a minute "Very well" She pointed her wand at the parchments "AVANTI!" 

The parchments shot into the air and flew out into the middle of the audience. The pile then split in two then split again, then again and eventually ended up with one parchment over each person. 

"DEVANTI!" Blake said with a smile, and the parchments dropped into the lap of the people below them.

"The spell will ensure you can't discuss this with anyone who doesn't know, but you will be able to discuss it with each other should you see fit" She continued "And it will kick in automatically - if someone who doesn't know walks into earshot, you will be quietened without having to take any action to quieten yourself" She smiled "If that is all, you are all dismissed" She paused "The mission goes in six days - so if you do wish to stay behind, then please can you tell Neville or Percival before the ninth so we can potentially adjust our teams" She looked around the hall one more time.

"Thank you, and we will see you all in six days time"


	17. Homeward Bound

"Mister Longbottom" Neville rolled his eyes, then glanced at Francis and River who were walking along the corridor beside him.

"I hope you are enjoying this" He muttered under his breath.

"More than you can imagine" River smirked, then Neville turned as Albus strode up beside them.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Mister Dumbledore?" He asked.

"I want to know......" Albus started, then blinked.

"Francis, River - could you excuse us a moment?" Neville asked "I think Mister Dumbledore has something to ask me but he can't do it while you are here" He smiled "I will catch you up - if you could tell Professor Mayhew I might be a little late?"

"Our pleasure, sweetie" River gave him a kiss on the cheek, then she and Francis turned and bounded down the corridor while Neville turned back to Albus.

"The oath you took last night was very well constructed, Mister Dumbledore" He said calmly "Francis and River have nothing to do with this, so the oath automatically kicked in" He paused "What did you want to ask me?"

"Why I am part of the team going to Hogwarts?" Albus asked.

"Because as the former Headmaster, we believe that you have knowledge that will prove invaluable during the attack" Neville replied "With all due respect, I thought that would have been obvious - your talents would have been wasted on the other, more generic, distraction missions"

"That is not what I meant, Mister Longbottom" Albus said "What I meant was - given my long experience in fighting Tom, and in dealing with his Death Eaters, why am I not going with the team that is attacking........." He paused "How did you refer to it?"

"The Dark Tower" Neville supplied.

"The Dark Tower" Albus nodded "Surely it would be better for me to be where I can be of most use"

"Do you know the ward scheme for The Dark Tower?" Neville asked.

"No"

"Do you know what forces we can expect to find in The Dark Tower?"

"No"

"Do you know anything that we don't already know?" 

"Do you have a point, Mister Longbottom?" Albus asked.

"You know a lot about the wards at Hogwarts, and I suspect you know a lot about the ins and outs of the school - any secret passages there might be and so forth" Neville folded his arms "Mister Dumbledore - we have made our choice. You can either join the team to go to Hogwarts, or you can stay home. There are no other choices"

"Are you going with the team to attack The Dark Tower?"

"No" Neville shook his head "Percival and I are staying here to run the invasion from here - normally there would only be one of us to play Overwatch, however given the sheer scale of this we decided having two of us would be better"

"You remember what I told you about killing Tom, Mister Longbottom - if you aren't there, I fear that the mission will be completely pointless because killing Tom will be impossible" Albus said darkly.

"I remember what you told me, Mister Dumbledore" Neville said with a smile "However there is something you have to keep in mind"

"And that is what?"

"I think it is bollocks" Neville replied "And so do The Angels" He turned and stalked off the corridor.

xoxox

He walked into the classroom five minutes later, and sat down next to River.

"Did you get your problem sorted out?" She asked.

"I did" Neville smiled, then - as Mayhew walked into the classroom - he lowered his voice "I'll tell you later"

xoxox

"Our redoubtable Headmaster wanted to know why he was going to Hogwarts and not to The Dark Tower" Neville said as he, Francis and River walked through the grounds. "He seems to think his talents would be better served in fighting Voldemort than in storming Hogwarts"

"What did you tell him?" River asked.

"That we disagreed, and that since our word is final he had very little choice but to accept it, or stay home" Neville shrugged "There is no way he is staying home - he is not going to allow magical Britain to be liberated and not be a part of it. His pride would never allow it" 

"Do you think he would go to Hogwarts and then leave to go to The Dark Tower?" Francis asked, but River shook her head.

"We didn't announce where The Dark Tower is" She said "Even if he somehow found a way to break his oath to obey our orders, he wouldn't know where we are going - only the group who are going there know where they are going" 

"And that's how we're going to keep it" Neville added "Further - if anyone deserts their mission, that would be a good enough reason to put them on trial for treason" He smiled "Which would definitely be a great deal of fun"

"To say the least" Francis laughed "So - four more days until M day. Do you think you'll be ready?"

"We're already ready" Neville replied, then frowned "That sounds weird" He shrugged "Anyway - we have everything we need, and thanks to Mister Weasley the third, I am pretty sure we know what we have to do" He paused "What happens after that is more of a question, I suppose"

"You still ready to be Headmaster?"

"I think so, yes" He nodded.

"You aren't sure?" River quirked an eyebrow.

"Not at all" He shook his head "Do you think I should be?" 

"Nope" River grinned "Anyone who is absolutely certain they can do the job is the least suitable person to do it - I think you'll be perfect" She paused "I'm more curious about who is going to decide to stay here and who will decide to come back with you" She paused "An entire generation could be lost to Britain if enough people stay here"

"I think most of them will want to go home" Francis replied "We've learned to love this place, but most of them are just here because it's not safe to return home. Once Mordor has been freed from shadow...... it will be safe again"

"I have to side with Francis" Neville admitted "I mean - there are some of them who might stay here, and I would imagine a few of the staff are going stay as well, but I am pretty sure Britain is their home and almost everyone will want to go back there" He took a deep breath "But none of that is going to matter until after M Day" He smiled "Now - I have to go and do some homework. See you later?"

"Later" Francis smiled.

xoxox

**Four Days Later - 11th of October, 1998**

Neville and Percival walked out on to the front lawn of Beauxbatons, and walked through the assembled crowd of Aurors, both French and British, Ministry staff, Order members, Hogwarts staff, Hogwarts students that had been rescued since the fall of Britain and a scattering of French students.

They reached the front of the crowd and then turned to face them.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN" Percival put his wand to his throat and magnified his voice "In ten minutes we are launching Project Mordor. Teams One to Six will apparate to their destination and begin their attacks. You will almost certainly come under attack - you are at liberty to use any means you see fit to defend yourselves, but unlike previous missions I am afraid you must hold out and and stay until Neville or I issue your recall signal" He paused "The success of this mission will hinge on you distraction the Death Eaters and Ministry Aurors until you do"

"Team Seven - Hogwarts - will launch fifteen minutes later. Their first task is to fire-blast the wards, and then to force the children to retreat to their common rooms. Finally you are to clear the school of staff - if you have to kill them, you are free to do so and will be expected to do so" Neville continued "If the teachers escape they will be found later or banished"

"Finally Team Eight will carry out the final part of the mission" Percival said "Once they have completed this - once Voldemort and whatever remains of the inner circle are really most sincerely dead - we will issue the recall signal and Project Mordor will be complete" He smiled "This is your last chance to withdraw from the mission. Anyone who wants to stay home should say so now, otherwise we leave in ten minutes" He drew his wand "I am now going to conjure a simple charm that will allow two way communication between you and Overwatch. It will only allow communication between you, your team and us - no inter-team communication"

"You should know now who your team leaders are, so they will tell you when you are going" Neville finished "Percival and I are returning to Overwatch, so we will see you when you return" He smiled "Good luck to one and to all" They both walked back through the group, and up into the school. They walked through the corridors, triggered a tapestry and walked into the round table chamber.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Blake asked.

"Ready and willing" Percival said "Well - ready"

"Okay" Blake smiled, then she looked at the other seven people in the room "Last chance to back out"

"No"  
"No"  
"No"  
"No"  
"No"  
"No"  
"You can't kill him without me"

"I guess that answers that" Blake smiled, turning back to Neville "So - lets kick this pig"

xoxox

Aravan Lews looked out the window of Flourish and Blotts and smiled. Ever since The Dark Lord had taken over Britain, his life had become infinitely better. He had stopped being forced to sell the muggle born propaganda, and all the wishy-washy, hand-holding crap that The Ministry had made him sell ever since The Dark Lord had fallen in 1981. 

Now he could stock the books he had always wanted to sell - the books that told the truth about magic, about where muggle borns got their magic from and why society would be a better place if they were all removed or at least segregated.

His business was flourishing - he smiled at the pun - and it only showed signs of getting better. 

He was about to turn away from the window when he saw a series of flashes near the end of the street. A moment later, a dozen or so figures in bright scarlet robes appeared - far brighter than the robes of The Ministry Aurors - and all drew their wands. 

He stared at them for a moment, trying to work out who they were, then he realised they all had a small distinctive flower on the right breast of their robes. 

"I've seen that somewhere before" He said to himself, but before he could start to work out where he knew it from, the window of his shop exploded inwards as half a dozen fireballs crashed into it at once.

xoxox

Fred watched as the window of Flourish and Blotts exploded, and then as the second wave of incendio spells flew into the store and set the bookshelves on fire.

"Second team - The Apothecary" He called out. The second half of the squad turned and headed off down The Alley, then opened fire on the potions shop. 

"Woah!" George ducked back, and the five people with him threw up shields as the potions shop exploded into flame "I guess Snape was right - some of these ingredients are really explosive" He shrugged "On the upside - destroying it was easier than I thought" He looked around "Rare Books or Clothes?"

"We've got the other bookshop" Fred called out across The Alley "We were planning on storming it, and using it as a fortress for when the Aurors show up" 

"A bookshop?" George called back as he lead his half of the squad down towards his twin's "With lots of flammable books?"

"And a clothes shop would be better?" Fred shrugged.

"Touche" George smiled, then turned to his squad "Follow me, my faithful warriors!" He strode off down the street towards Madame Malkins while Fred strode off in the other direction.

He came to a halt two minutes later, stood in front of the rare book shop.

"MR CHARTERS - COME ON OUT. WE NEED YOUR SHOP" He bellowed. A moment later, the door to the shop opened, and an oldish man in glasses came out.

"Mr Charters - you have been found guilty of supporting The Emperor, of publishing propaganda, and of reporting on muggle born students to The MBRDC" Fred paused "You can either submit yourself to a fair trial by the new government, or we will kill you where you stand" Jaston Charters stared at them for a moment, then he quickly drew his wand.

"AVADA....."

"REDUCTO!"  
"REDUCTO!"  
"REDUCTO!" He was thrown backwards into the wall, and died before he hit the floor.

"That went well" Fred said "Everyone inside - move the bookcases to block the windows, but ensure we can look over them. Then when George and his team are done torching Malkin they will need to get in, then we block the door.

xoxox

"INCENDIO!" Seven fireballs shot towards the clothing store, blasted through the window and set the inside of the shop alight. 

"Again!" George yelled, then another seven spells shot through the air, and added even more flames to the inferno. 

"Okay - lets go" George said. As they turned to head back to the book shop, he heard a wave of apparation cracks behind him, and looked over his shoulder to see half a dozen red-robed Aurors appear behind them.

"Crap" He exclaimed "Run!"

xoxox

"They're here!" George pushed himself against the wall as his team filed past him into the bookshop "REDUCTO! DIFFINDO! INCENDIO! Go! Go!" He slowly started to back up.

"REDUCTO! REDUCTO!" He backed into the bookshop, then slammed the door and dived backwards as two members of his team levitated a bookshelf across it. 

"Well - that was bracing" He said, picking himself up off the floor "Is the back door locked?"

"We are snug as a bug in a rug" Fred nodded "Okay - Team 1, line up on the bookshelf and blast anyone who comes near us - any curse you want. We either wand them wounded or dead, but keep them here as long as we can. We rotate every half hour or so, don't want anyone getting tired"

"Yes boss" They all replied, then six of the people walked over and leaned against the bookshelf.

"And so it begins" George said, glancing out of the window.

xoxox

Edward Borgin stared in horror out of the door of his shop as a dozen figures in scarlet robes set fire to everything in sight. 

They had apparated in five minutes or so before and almost at once had started burning the place down. 

A few of the shopkeepers had tried fighting back, and almost all of them were dead - those that weren't soon would be. 

He had stayed hidden until it became apparent they were coming his way. At which point he had decided he would try to surrender and throw himself on their mercy.

He extracted his wand from his robes, then slowly put it on the floor in front of his shop, before raising his hands and taking a step forward. 

"INCENDIO!"  
"REDUCTO!"  
"DIFFINDO!"

The windows of his shop exploded inwards as a trio of spells hit them, and he threw himself sideways. 

"I surrender" He said, curling up on the floor "I SURRENDER!"

"Mister Borgin" He looked up to see three scarlet robed figures stood over him "I don't know if you remember me, but six months ago you turned me over to The Aurors after I refused to have sex with you in the back of your shop" Edward stared up at the figure.

"What......" He frowned.

"I am pretty sure I wasn't the first" The figure continued, then - with a flick of their wand - they forced Edward's sleeve back up his arm to reveal a dark mark on his left arm.

"You are under sentence of death and I suspect you deserve it more than most" The figure's voice darkened "You can either retreat into your shop and die in there, or I can kill you now" Edward pushed himself up, then slowly rose to his feet.

"I regret nothing - I served my master and would do it again" He said.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" The killing curse flew over the short distance from the figure to Edward, and he fell dead on the floor. They stared at him for a moment, then turned away and continued torching Knockturn Alley.

xoxox

"Mummy? Why are those people dressed in red?" Jane Groves looked over at where her son was pointing and watched as thirteen figures walked through King's Cross station in scarlet red robes. They walked through the concourse and then - in almost perfect sequence - turned and headed towards the platforms.

"I have no idea, sweetie" Jane replied "Maybe they are going to a fancy dress contest"

xoxox

Hannah and Susan lead their team down Platform 9, and then they stopped at the portal.

"The platform should be empty, but given the other attacks will already be underway I don't know what we'll find" Susan said "So we go through two at a time but be ready to open fire"

"If there's no one there, don't attack but walk slowly up the platform. One person per carriage, and five to attack the engine" Hannah said "Sue and I will come through last" She paused "Go"

xoxox

Xavier Harris looked around from where he was polishing The Express, and blinked in surprise as two scarlet robed figures entered the platform. As he watched, two more entered, then another two until a total of thirteen had walked in. 

He continued to watch them, cloth in hand, as they walked up the platform in perfect formation, then started to spread out and line up.

"What the......" He exclaimed, then his eyes widened as they all raised their wands.

"Oh crap!" He shouted, then turned on the spot and apparated away. 

xoxox

"I guess the cat's out of he bag" Hannah said "Okay - lets do this before we get a visit from our friendly neighbourhood friends in red. On zero - THREE. TWO. ONE. ZERO"

" **R E D U C T O**!" All thirteen members of Team 3 yelled at once, and the bolts of red fire shot across the platform crashing into The Express. The carriages burst into flames as the glass shattered and the wood exploded in all directions, while the engine and driver's compartment rocked back and forth.

"AGAIN!" Hannah yelled.

" **R E D U C T O**!" Another thirteen spells flew across the platform, and this time the engine exploded in a massive ball of flame.

"Bollocks!" Susan cursed "SHIELDS!" 

"PROTEGO! Half a dozen shields sprang into life as bits of metal flew in all directions, and flame bellowed out of the remains of the engine block. 

"Oh yes!" Hannah yelled "Now - burn the carriages down. Burn them so no one can ever use them again"

"INCENDIO!" A trio of fire curses torched the remains of the carriages, and pretty soon the wood was burning merrily. 

A moment later, a dozen apparation cracks echoed around them as twelve Aurors appeared on the platform.

"Take to the tracks" Hannah said "And KILL THEM ALL!" 

xoxox

Team Four - lead by Charlie - walked through Hogsmeade until they reached The Hogshead. 

"Wait here, but if you are attacked, feel free to start without me" Charlie said, then he walked inside and up to the bar.

"Mister Dumbledore" He said "I need to talk to you"

"Mister Weasley?" Abe asked in slight surprise "I thought you and your family had moved to France?"

"We have" Charlie replied "But we've come back - there is about to be mass destruction of the town, and since you are the only bar who hasn't bowed to The Ministry, we were planning on leaving you alone" He paused "You might want to lock your door and raise any wards to protect your customers"

"I'll take that under advisement" Abe replied, then smiled "You know they're going to come for you"

"We are aware" 

"If you need a place to hide, or to stage a fight back, my door is always open" Abe said "You know - unless it is locked and warded because you are torching the rest of the town"

"I will take that under advisement" Charlie laughed "And thank you for the offer" He turned and walked out of the bar and rejoined his group "Okay - unleash hell"

xoxox

"Minister!" Antonin Dolohov burst into Lucius' office "The attacks are spreading!"

"So I understand" Lucius stood up "Call out the reserves - I want these people dead" He summoned his cloak and put it on "I have to see The Emperor - keep in touch and let me know how it is going"

"Yes, Minister" Antonin nodded.

xoxox

"Incendio!"

"Incendio!"

"Reducto!"

"Bombadia!"

Charlie smiled as he watched the shops around Hogsmeade burn and explode. Half the village was already on fire, and the fires were spreading. He knew his brother would have to rebuild the place when they were finally done, but he also knew what had been going on in their absence, and he really couldn't find it in his heart to be sorry about tearing it down and starting again.

"DROP YOU WANDS AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP" He span round as he saw two squads of Death Eaters stalking down the high street towards them.

"Scatter!" He yelled, then ducked into a side alley - one of the few that wasn't on fire - and peered round the corner. A moment later he stated firing as many of the most brutal curses as he could back towards the on coming Death Eaters. 

xoxox

"Good morning" The receptionist at The Ministry of Magic looked up "Welcome to the......" He trailed off, staring at the twenty four scarlet robed figures "Director Bones?"

"Good morning, Jensen" Amelia gave a polite nod "We are here to assassinate The Minister of Magic and several of the other Heads of Department and members of staff. Do we need badges for that, or can we just go on through?"

"You can just go through" The receptionist said in a slightly stunned voice "Do you want me to announce you?"

"We're good" Amelia replied with a smile "But can you pull up your sleeve?" The receptionist did "Okay - thank you" She paused "Please don't try and stop us, or we are going to have to kill you" She lead her team off without looking back.

xoxox

Ron and Ginny walked up to a large imposing building, then glanced at each other.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Not in the slightest" She replied.

"Good to know" Ron smiled, then he glanced at the group behind him "Remember - there might be prisoners held here. So - we find out if there are before we torch the place" 

"Yes, boss" 

"Then lets go" Ron strode forward, then he and Ginny raised their wands.

"REDUCTO!" They blasted the doors off the entry, then the entire team stormed in to The Muggle Born Registration and Detention Commission. 

"EVERYBODY DROP THEIR WANDS!" Ginny shouted "Do not try to contact anyone, do not try to leave. Anyone makes a move we will kill you where we stand" Ron raised his wand.

"ACCIO WANDS!" The wands from everyone in the room flew towards him and dropped in a heap at his feet.

"Who are you?" One of the Aurors asked.

"We are The Angels of Arven" Ginny said "And we are here to close this place down - it is an abomination against nature and you are all appalling human beings for working here"

"We were just doing our jobs" The Auror replied.

"And with that comment you've lost any right to speak to me" Ginny snapped "SILENCIO!" She looked at the next Auror "Now - you have one chance to answer this question, and if you lie to me I will make you very sorry" She paused "Are you holding any prisoners here?"

"Yes" The Auror nodded "There are three down in the cells"

"Smith, Taylor, Jones - go get them" Ron said "We'll keep them here"

"Yes, boss" 

xoxox

"I know we've been resisting, but I think we're going to have to" George said to his twin. Fred glanced out of the window, then nodded.

"Okay - anyone who wants to - whatever curses you want" Fred called out.

"Yes, boss" Came the reply, then Fred smiled as he heard a volley of killing curses join the chorus of curses being thrown from the window of the bookshop. 

"How long do you think we can keep this up?" He asked George.

"For as long as we need to" George replied, then he held up his hand "Do..... do you hear what I hear?"

"Am I the night wind or the little lamb?" Fred smirked, but George turned.

"I can hear other voices" He said "I'm not imagining it - there are other people out there"

xoxox

Antonin and Kingsley apparated into Knockturn Alley along with a dozen other Aurors to find it already on fire. 

"Spread out! Find them!" Antonin called out, then he and Kingsley strode forward and drew their wands "Lucius wants prisoners, but he will be happy if we bring them in alive or dead"

"That's probably good, because if they are who I think they are, then some of them will be my old associates and they're not going to be happy with me" Kingsley replied.

"You've got that right" A voice came from behind his right ear "REDUCTO!" Kingsley felt an explosion in his spine and found himself flying across The Alley. A second later he saw Antonin land beside him. 

Two figures strode up in front of them.

"You betrayed The Order, Kingsley - you betrayed the country" One of the figures said "You know what we have to do now"

"I did what I thought was best" Kingsley replied "The country was on the verge of chaos - I served the only legitimate government"

"You served Voldemort" The figure said darkly "You let him take over this country and send hundreds of muggle born men, women and children to prison or to their deaths"

"I had no part in that - I just made sure the country was safe from chaos" Kingsley replied.

"And for that you are going to die" The figure drew their wand "Do you have any last words that don't make me want to vomit?" Kingsley stared back at them.

"No, I don't think I do" He replied.

"So be it" The figure pointed their wand at him "AVADA KEDAVRA!" 

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" The two figures turned, and walked back to the fight.

xoxox

"WINGUARDIUM LEVIOSA!" Hannah flung a large piece of wreckage over the platform, knocking down three of the Aurors. She turned.

"Throw the metal!" She called out "Throw the flaming metal!" A moment later the rest of her team started flinging pieces of The Express onto the platform - knocking down, and in some cases setting fire to, the Aurors. 

Within a few minutes the attacking force had all been disabled or killed and Hannah and Susan lead their team back up onto the platform.

"Overwatch - we have taken out The Express, and the counterforce that came for us" Susan said.

"Hold the platform - they might send more" Neville's voice came back.

"Aye" Susan nodded, then she looked at the team that had come with her "We hold the platform" She said "They might be back"

xoxox

"Ladies and Gentlemen" Abe walked around from behind his bar then banged a mug on the nearest table "I know it is rare that I demand anything from you - other than that you pay your bar bills on time - but now I am going to change that" He pointed at the door "The Angels of Arven are here to liberate Britain and restore our government to what it should be. But now the Aurors have come to kill them and place their heads on pikes" He paused "I say NO! I say that it is time to stand up and fight for what is ours. So I am asking you now to come and fight with me and free this land from the evil scourge that has covered it in darkness!" He paused, then rolled his eyes "Preferably before they all die in agony!"

xoxox

Charlie ducked back behind the wall, then peeked out again and cast another series of curses down the street.

"We're going to have to retreat" Cho said from behind him "They are..... can you hear that?" 

"I can" Charlie frowned, then he peered round the corner, and smiled "You are not going to believe this"

xoxox

"Mister Parkinson" An Auror walked into Malcolm Parkinson's office "I can't find Minister Malfoy and there is a problem" 

"What problem?" Malcolm asked "And The Minister is in conference with The Emperor at The Throne" He looked at the Auror "What is the problem?"

"We've had reports from Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade that the people are rising up against us" The Auror said.

"We are aware that The Angels are launching a full scale attack - it is nothing to worry about" Malcolm said dismissively "The Aurors and the reserves have been dispatched against them"

"No, sir" The Auror shook his head "The people are rising up against us - shopkeepers, customers - the people are rising against us" Malcolm stared at him.

"Well this is a problem" Malcolm took a deep breath "I will get in touch with The Minister. But tell the Aurors they are free to attack anyone who attacks them first - no mercy"

"Yes, sir" The Auror turned and walked out of the office, while Malcolm turned to the floo and threw some floo powder into it.

xoxox

Amelia lead her team through The Ministry.

"Lock everyone in their offices, unless they fight back and then kill them" She said "We have to get to the admin level, and deal with the Heads of Department and then find The Minister"

"Yes, boss"

They set off, stalking through corridors.

xoxox

Ron and Ginny moved the prisoners into the corner, then watched as the others started placing fire grenades at various places round the room. 

"Four corners, all the structural posts. Make sure you get all the filing cabinets and records - this place has to burn and burn so well it can't ever be recovered" Ginny directed, then she and Ron both turned as three people emerged from the floor below with three more.

"Ro.... Ron?" A tall, red head with an earring stared at them, still blinking slightly at the bright lights of the office.

"BILL?" Ron and Ginny shouted in unison, then they both ran over and enfolded him in a hug "We thought you were dead"

"I've been........ here" Bill said in a quiet voice, then he looked at the other two prisoners "With Remus and Tonks"

"Professor Lupin?" Ginny said.

"Tonks?" Ron stared at the former Auror.

"What are you wearing?" Tonks stared at them.

"It's a long story" Ginny said, then she fished in her pockets and held out three small discs "Take these"

"What are they?" Remus asked.

"Just take them" Ginny insisted "Please" The three prisoners exchanged glances, then reached out and took one each.

"ANGEL ANGEL ANGEL" She said, and a moment later, all three prisoners vanished.

"Bill's alive" Ron said, staring at Ginny.

"He's alive" Ginny nodded, then she looked back at the staff who were stood in the corner "And they've been holding him for all this time"

"We were just doing our job" One of them said.

"What did I say about talking to me?" Ginny said "Squad? At arms" Her entire team drew their wands "Fire!"

"STUPEFY! Eighteen stunning curses shot across the room and knocked out all of the prisoners.

"Bind them" She commanded. 

"Incarcerous!" 

"Good" She smiled "Now - everyone out" She said, then watched as everyone except Ron left. She turned to her brother.

"Shall we?" She asked.

"Damn right we shall" He said, then they walked out, laying a chain of fire grenades after them. 

They placed the last one at the door, then walked out to join the rest of the group.

"Would you care to do the honours?" She asked him. Ron smiled then pointed his wand at the first grenade in the doorway.

"Sir? M'am?" One of their team asked "Not that I want to question this, but...... they are stunned and tied up - they won't be able to escape" Ginny turned round.

"They have hunted down and detained first born witches and wizards" She said calmly but firmly "They put them in prison, they tortured them, they humiliated them, they executed them" She stared at her team "They did all this because they were told to, and because they wanted to - because they enjoyed it" She turned back and stared at the building in front of them "Anyone who worked here is amongst the worst of the worst" She paused "Anyone who objects can leave. We won't stop them" She waited a moment, but heard no apparation cracks.

"Ronald - in your own time" She said, and Ron smiled.

"Incendio!" He said, and a burst of flame shot from his wand and hit the first grenade. It exploded, triggering a chain reaction that lead a wave of fire into the building. 

"SHIELDS!" Ginny cried, and a moment later a wall of yellow burst into life in front of them. A second later, the building exploded outwards as all of the fire grenades seemed to ignite at once. 

Chunks of concrete, brick and motor reigned down on them, bouncing off the shields above.

"I would call that a job well done" Ron said a few moments later as the cascade came to an end. 

"I need two volunteers" Ginny said "We have to go through the wreckage and kill anyone who is still alive - everyone else stand guard and fight anyone who turns up" Two people stepped forward, then they, Ginny and Ron walked over and started picking their way through the rubble.

xoxox

Dolores Umbridge ducked as a blasting curse shot over her head, and she turned round to see a dozen shop keepers, customers and shoppers attacking them from behind.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" She bellowed.

"We want our country back!" Tom shouted "REDUCTO!" Dolores ducked as the blasting curse scattered cobbles up from the street.

"YOU ALL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO RETURN TO YOU.... ugh"

xoxox

Fred stared in surprise as Dolores put her hand to her throat to try to stem the bleeding, then - a second later - she fell to the floor, and died.

"Team - we're on the move" He said, a sparkle in his eye.

xoxox

"I suppose we should put some of these fires out" Jason looked around Knockturn Alley.

"Why bother?" Orla shrugged "The wards that surround Diagon Alley will contain it, and if we burn the entire place down I am pretty sure Percival will thank us for it" 

"Overwatch? Do you mind if we let this entire place burn down?"

"Not really" Percival's voice came back "More space for my second home I'm going to use the tax-payer money to buy" Jason snorted in amusement.

"Can you be serious for a moment?" Jason asked.

"Let it burn - I really don't care" Percival said "Orla's right - the wards will protect it"

"So we're done? The shops are all toast, and the Death Eaters are dealt with" 

"Stay there - keep watch in case anyone else turns up"

"Will do"

xoxox

Charlie and Cho walked out from the side alley and met Abe and his customers coming the other way. 

"Mister Dumbledore" Charlie inclined his head "Thank you"

"I thought it was about time we stopped cowering and started doing something to take back our country" Abe replied "I mean - I am grateful to The Angels but they can't keep bailing us out of trouble. I'm sure they have lives of their own"

"I am sure they do" Charlie smiled "So - we think there might be a second wave - can you help us patrol the area?"

"Consider it our pleasure"

xoxox

"Mister Parkinson - you are under arrest" Amelia pointed her wand at his chest, as did the two scarlet robed figures behind her "The Ministry is ours. Gaston Goyle is dead. Vincent Crabbe is dead. We have received word from our other forces - Umbridge, Yaxley, Dolohov, Shacklebolt, MacNair, Gregory Goyle and the entire staff of The MBRDC are also dead" She paused "As far as I know you are not a Death Eater, so your life is not immediately forfeit. However you will be turned over for a fair trial to the next administration"

"A fair trial ends in me going to Azkaban" Malcolm replied.

"That's not my fault" Amelia said "But just so as you know - if you draw your wand, we will kill you where you stand" Malcolm stared back at her, then slowly reached into his robes and pulled out his wand with two fingers and dropped it on his desk.

"Good choice" Amelia smiled "Now - two more things. First - push up your sleeve. I said I was fairly certain you aren't a Death Eater, but I wanted to be sure"

"You know you aren't allowed to ask me to do that without due cause?" Malcolm said.

"Britain is under martial law and we are operating under a foreign flag" Amelia shrugged "Do it or I will have my associates hold you down and do it myself" Malcolm smiled.

"You always were very direct, Amelia" He said, then he pushed both of his sleeves back, revealing completely unmarked arms.

"Thank you" She said "So now - do you know where Minister Malfoy is?" 

"No - at least, not exactly" He shook his head "He is in conference with The Emperor, but I was never told where that was" He paused "You can question me as much as you want, but I am telling the truth"

"I know" She said "My associates will take you to the cells" She turned as they lead him out "Overwatch? The Ministry is ours - a number of Death Eaters are dead, and several other non Death Eaters are under arrest and in the cells" She paused "There won't be any more orders from here, but Lucius is at The Dark Tower so there might be orders from there"

"Thank you - we'll send in the final two teams now"

xoxox

_"Thank you - we'll send in the final two teams now"_

Percival looked round at The Angels.

"It's time" He said "Hogwarts and The Dark Tower" Blake smiled.

"Okay" She replied and stood up "Lets do it"


	18. The Man In The High Castle

Albus, Minerva and Filius apparated onto the path that lead up to Hogwarts, and were joined a moment later by a dozen other members of their team. Padma Patil strode forward and glanced at the castle.

"On zero, I want you to unleash your most powerful spells at the wards" She said "I want you try to to rip the wards apart and shred them into little bits"

"That is unlikely to work, Miss Patil" Albus said in a sceptical voice.

"I am aware of that, Mister Dumbledore" She replied "However if we have half a dozen incredibly powerful mages trying to overload the wards, it will hopefully hide what my sister and I are going to be doing" She smiled as Parvati walked up next to her "Which is carefully pulling down the wards one by one" She paused "Think of it like throwing an exploding ping-pong ball at someone during the middle of a snow storm" They all stared at her in confusion "Never mind - just get ready" She looked at her sister "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be"

"Not the ringing endorsement I was hoping for, but lets go for it" Padma smiled "On zero - THREE. TWO. ONE. ZERO!"

xoxox

Severus Snape jerked his head up as every single ward alarm was triggered at once - something that had never heard happening before.

"Headmaster" Amycus Carrow burst into Severus' office "What is going on?"

"Calm yourself, Carrow - it is probably nothing to worry about" Severus rose slowly to his feet "It is probably just a false alarm - it is highly unlikely that all of the wards have been triggered at once. The only thing that could cause that would be a huge attack force, such as a legion of dragons, or giants or some other creatures and I am fairly certain that we would have heard those coming or been alerted to them by The Ministry or the noise"

"What kind of thing could cause such a false alarm?" Amycus asked "Wouldn't it require a catastrophic failure of the wards?"

"I will go and investigate" Severus continue in the same calm tone "In the meantime I suggest you return the students to their common rooms - we will not be able to teach anything with all this noise going on"

"Yes, Headmaster" Amycus nodded, then turned and rushed out of the office. Severus watched him go, then slowly walked out after him.

He walked down the stairs, then - as he reached the landing - he came to a halt.

"What _could_ cause such a catastrophic crash of the wards?" He asked himself "Nothing's changed, the wards have been stable, so what......" He paused "We're under attack" He strode along the corridor and stared out of the window. Scanning the grounds, he eventually caught sight of the group stood by the gates. 

"Albus" He frowned "So it's war" He turned and stalked back along the corridor then returned to his office.

xoxox

"Five down, two more to go" Parvati said.

"I think we've been noticed" Filius said conversationally as he continued to pour fire into the wards.

"That was predictable" Padma sighed "Keep going"

"One left" Parvati interjected.

"That's it!" Padma yelled, and she grinned as all the spells being shot at the wards suddenly blasted past the fence and across the grounds. 

"The wards are down?" Albus asked. Parvati bounded forward, then pushed her hand forward slowly. When it touched the gate post, she turned round and smiled.

"So it would seem" She grinned.

"Are you aware of how dangerous that was, Miss Patil?" He stared at her.

"Well my first instinct was to just shove you forward as hard as I could" She shrugged "But if I was wrong I thought you might get a bit annoyed with me"

"Very droll" Albus said drily.

"I do my best" Parvati smiled "Now - it's almost certain that they will have noticed the wards have collapsed. If only because we kind of walked up and banged very, very hard on their door" She looked around "Seventeen of us - three per floor, clear our any staff. Anyone who fights back - kill them. Anyone who surrenders, stun them, tie them up and leave them where they are" She paused "My sister and I will stay in The Entrance Hall to make sure we aren't surprised"

"Miss Patil - once again I must object....."

"If you object once more we will treat you as the enemy" Padma said "You either do what you are told or I will stun you, bind you and tie you to the gatepost" She stared at him "Decide now - we don't have time to argue" Albus stared back.

"Very well, but I think it is a mistake"

"Then it is our mistake" She paused "Filius, Levi - go with him. Minerva - you go with Alver and Alex"

"I feel that....." Albus started, but stopped as Padma glared at him.

"Everyone else - team up" She said, and watched as three groups of three formed up "Okay - let's move out" 

xoxox

Severus appeared in The Great Hall, then disillusioned himself and, along with The Carrows, walked up to the doors.

"They are searching the school" Amycus said quietly "From what I understand they are going to kill anyone they find"

"Then it would probably be better if they didn't find us" Alecto replied.

"That is not something we can count on" Severus said calmly "The Angels - if these are indeed they - have been nothing but methodical and persistent in everything they do" He looked around "Hogwarts is the last redoubt if The Manor falls, and we cannot allow it to fall" He paused "You have to defend it, even with your life"

"We understand, Snape" Alecto said.

"Once they start exploring the school, we will levitate the tables and the benches to form a barricade" Severus continued "Then we lock the doors and seal them, followed by opening up the passages" They watched as the three of the groups set off up the stairs, the fourth went towards the dungeon and the fifth walked off into the school. Then Severus frowned as the last two figures walked over to the main entrance doors and looked out before walking back in and starting looking around.

"Why aren't they going with the others?" Amycus asked.

"They must be the lookouts" Severus said.

"Should we kill them?" Alecto raised her wand, but Severus shook his head.

"If we kill them and hide their bodies, they will notice their gone" He said "If we kill them and leave their bodies, they'll notice the bodies" He paused "If we had polyjuice potion I'd suggest you replace them, but we don't"

"So what do we do with them?" Amycus asked "Because if we have to secure the school......."

"I thought I saw Albus Dumbledore with them" Severus drew his wand "If I can speak to him, then I think I can convince him I am still on his side - that I've been biding my time and gaining information, and now that I can tell him everything he wants to know"

"Do you think he will believe you?" Alecto asked in surprise.

"Albus was always ready to believe the best of me" Severus smiled "I doubt he has changed that much"

xoxox

Blake, Percy, Kenny, Olympe, Antoinette, Lavender and Fleur appeared on forest hill overlooking LeStrange Manor.

"You can go anytime" Percival's voice came in their ear "The wards at Hogwarts have fallen, and they are searching the school now. If The Emperor flees he will have nowhere to hide"

"Thank you, Overwatch" Blake replied, then she looked around "We do this with as much stealth as we can - Lavender, Fleur on ward duty. Olympe, Antoinette - guard duty. We three will wait for the wards to drop, then we'll go in"

"Got it" Everyone else nodded, then they all walked down from the hill and across the field, then stopped at the wards.

"Lilac, Blue - you are up"

xoxox

Albus, Filius and Levi walked along the third floor corridor, looking in each classroom, then they all turned as they heard someone approaching behind them. 

"Don't curse me" Severus raised his hands above his head "I'm not armed"

"Severus?" Filius arched his eyebrows "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to rejoin you" Severus replied, glancing over his shoulder "I'm so glad you've come - ever since Britain fell I've been acting trying to maintain my cover, but it has not been easy"

"Your cover?" Filius stared at him sceptically.

"Yes" Severus nodded "But now that you're here - now you've come to rescue me and liberate the country - I can finally help you. Tell you where The Dark Lord is, tell you where the Death Eaters are in Hogwarts, tell you what you need to know" He paused "You can help me escape and I can help you retake the country"

"We don't need your help, Severus" Filius replied "Diagon Alley is retaken, Knockturn Alley is burning, The Ministry is ours, The MBDRC has fallen, Hogsmeade has risen up in rebellion and as we speak our forces are retaking the school" He paused "What do you think you can tell us that we don't already know?"

"The location of The Dark Lord's fortress" Severus said, his voice growing firm.

"As I said - what do you think you can tell us that we do not already know?" Filius repeated. Severus stared at him, an expression of disbelief growing on his face.

"Albus......." He turned to stare at the former Headmaster "Surely you believe me......"

"Albus isn't in charge, Severus" Filius replied "He has no say in whether you go free or not" He paused "So you either surrender to me as a prisoner of war, or we treat you as the Death Eater you are"

"Which entails what, might I ask?" Severus frowned.

"Summary execution" Levi supplied from their left. Severus stared at them, then - in a flash - he drew his wand.

"OBSCURUS DEMASTIAO!" He yelled, and a cloud of thick, black smoke filled the air. 

"VENTUS!" Filius cried out, and waved his wand to dispel the smoke. As the air cleared, he realised Severus had already vanished.

"Overwatch - inform all groups that Severus Snape is an enemy and should be treated as such" He said.

"Confirmed" Neville replied "Issuing the update now" Filius turned to Albus.

"Shall we continue?"

xoxox

Blake watched Lavender and Fleur dismantling the wards when Neville's voice came over her ear.

"Really?" She asked "Well - that's a bit of a surprise" She shrugged "If you could keep us apprised, but we're about to break through the wards so we're going to be running on silent for a bit" She paused "Okay - we'll let you know when we're done" She looked around "Snape tried to pass himself off as a double-agent. Dumbledore was close to letting him back to our side, but Filius drove him off and Snape ran - they're going to hunt him down and kill him"

"Seems fair" Percy shrugged.

"They are working through the rest of the floors, and when they come across him he will end up dead" Blake smiled "All in all, a good day's work" She glanced over at Lavender and Fleur "How's it going?"

"We..... are....." Fleur gave her wand a twist to the right while Lavender yanked hers backwards "...... done"

"Done?" Kenny asked.

"The last of the wards is down, and if we've done it right they won't realise it" Lavender said.

"If you done it right?" Blake smirked.

"We're basing this on the ward scheme Overwatch provided" Fleur said "There's a tiny chance they may have added trip-wards or other wards we don't know about" She paused "We can't detect any, but Professor DeMarsh taught us about undetectable wards"

"But if we consider undetectable wards then we're going to spend the rest of our time here just second guessing ourselves and never doing anything" Lavender finished "We either go now or we go home" Blake smiled.

"Then we go now" She nodded, then turned and waved over Olympe and Antoinette.

"Marie and Lilac will take point, we three will follow them and Artemis and Blue will take the rear" She said "Just to repeat - this is not a capture mission. Anyone who is in there is guilty, and dies" She looked at each of them in turn "And while we have a prophecy dealing with The Emperor, none of us really believe it so if you get a shot at him, blow his arms off, blow his legs off, set him on fire - we don't care" She smiled "Okay - lets go"

xoxox

"Headmaster?" Sybill Trelawney stared along the corridor as Filius, Albus and Levi walked along it towards her.

"Sybill - are you alright?" Albus asked "We are here to save you"

"Save me?" Sybill stared at him "Save me from what? My liberators who gave me a reason to live after you kept me locked up here for decades? The people who taught me to use my gift for the benefit for everyone? The Emperor who has given me a new purpose in life and a place by his side in the new order?" She drew her wand and pointed it at them "SAVE ME? I HAVE ALREADY BEEN SA....."

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Filius and Levi both cast killing curses at her, sending her flying backwards along the corridor. Albus watched her body crash into the ground, then turned to face the other two.

"Was that really necessary?" He asked.

"Yes"  
"Yes" 

"Then I suppose there is nothing more to say" 

xoxox

Lavender and Antoinette each fired a killing curse into a bedroom, then Lavender waited at the door as Antoinette walked in to find Narcissa laying dead on the bed. She reached out and closed the woman's eyes, then turned and walked back out.

"One down" She said, then they made their way along the corridor to rejoin the group.

xoxox

"Padma?"

"Yes, sis?"

"Did you....."

"I did"

"Shall we?"

"On zero?"

"Uh-huh"

"ZERO!" They both span round.

"COLLOPOTUS" They both yelled, and the two doors to The Great Hall slammed shut.

"Winguardium Leviosa!" Padma levitated the pike from the nearest suit of armour and jammed it into the handles of the doors.

"You know that's not going to hold it" Parvati said.

"What do you want me to do - rip up some flag stones?" Padma asked with a smile "It should hold them for a little while" She paused "Overwatch - we need help. There are two or three Death Eaters in The Great Hall and I am pretty sure they know we're here"

"We'll get the basement team back, and maybe the top floor team - they both seem to be done" Neville replied "Can you hold out for a little while?"

"We'll do what we can" Padma replied "But hurry"

xoxox

"Minerva - The Great Hall Group need your help" Minerva heard Neville's voice in her ear "Death Eaters in The Great Hall - they need your help now"

"We're on it" She replied, then look at Alex and Alver "We have to go" She said, then all three set off along the corridor towards the stairs.

xoxoxo

"Filius - The Great Hall Group are in trouble and need your help" Filius set off down the corridor with Levi and Albus trailing behind him "Death Eaters in The Great Hall"

"We're on our way" He replied.

xoxox

"They know we're here" Alecto said.

"Start moving the tables" Severus replied "They're going to come in here, and from what I've seen they're going to come in here blasting" He paused "I fear they have already moved on The Manor House, so we make our stand here - if The Emperor comes we will defend him, and if he doesn't we will defend this place for him"

"Yes, Severus" They both nodded, then started levitating the tables into place. Severus removed the various banners and pennants and stacked them up in front of the doors, then he levitated the four house point counters up and above the door.

"When they come in, we drop the gems on them and set fire to the pennants" Severus said "That should ensure they'll be delayed enough for us to take down a few of them" He paused "I don't expect to come out of this alive - it is now just a matter of taking down as many of them as we can"

"We understand" The Carrows replied in unison.

xoxox

Olympe and Fleur stopped at the door to the lounge, then Fleur nudged the door open with her foot.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" They both dropped to the floor, then both rolled on to their stomachs.

"REDUCTO!"  
"DIFFINDO!" 

There was a scream from inside the room. They exchanged glances, then Fleur pushed herself up and slowly pushed the door open.

"You can come in" She said, pushing the door open wider. They both walked in, and stared down at the person lying on the floor - the teenage girl missing her right arm and the bottom of her left leg.

"Pansy Parkinson" A voice said from behind them "One of Draco Malfoy's lackies"

"I'm...." Pansy started, then coughed twice "I'm no one's lackey. I am one of the highest in My Lord's service"

"And yet here you are, bleeding to death in his house while no one comes to help you" Blake stared down at her "Was it really worth it?" She looked at the other two "Do you want me to....."

"Avada Kedavra" Fleur said before either of the other two could respond.

"......never mind" Blake finished, then all three turned and walked out.

xoxox

Minerva, Alex and Alver arrived on the ground floor at the same time as Albus, Filius and Levi.

"They don't seem to be trying to escape" Padma said "So I'm pretty sure they're building up their defences and making sure that if we go in there they take some of us with them" She paused "Which means we can't go in there"

"So we just leave them there?" Minerva asked.

"No" Parvati shook her head "We are going to do this the way The Angels do everything" She paused "When Overwatch tells you to, I want you to blow the doors of their hinges - I mean literally shred them" 

"Miss Patil?" 

"Hit them with every curse you have" Padma said "I want them to think we are coming in and coming in hard - it is important for them to be concentrating all their attention on the doors"

"Why?" Filius asked.

"Because that way they won't be paying attention to anything else" Padma smiled.

xoxox

Severus, Alecto and Amycus stared at the door as it was pounded with curse after curse. They watched as the doors started to buckle, then they turned slightly red and then - a moment later - the doors exploded inwards. 

"Here they come" Severus said "Kill anyone who moves"

xoxox

_"Kill anyone who moves"_ Padma and Parvati apparated into the antechamber behind The Great Hall, then slowly pushed the door open. 

They drew their wands, and pointed them at the Death Eater twins. Then - as the other Angels streamed through the doors - they both cast killing curses.

xoxox

_"Kill anyone who moves"_ Severus said, pointing his wand at the smoke filled entry way.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" 

He stared in surprise as Alecto and Amycus fell dead to the ground, then turned on the spot to see two figures in scarlet robes emerging from the antechamber at the end of The Hall.

"Wha....." He started.

"REDUCTO!"  
"REDUCTO!" 

He let out a scream as both of his knee-caps were blown out and he collapsed to the ground.

"ACCIO WAND!" Padma summoned his wand, then they both strode over and pointed their wands down at him.

"Severus Snape - you are under sentence of death for treason, collaboration and being a Death Eater. We are here on behalf of the future lawful government of magical Britain to carry out the sentence" Parvati said "Do you have any last words?"

"Miss Patil - he is helpless. You cannot execute a helpless prisoner!" Albus strode in.

"Try us" Parvati snapped "He has been collaborating with The Emperor and allowing the torture of students"

"Not to mention the arrest and detention of some of them - why do you think the Angels have been so busy?" Padma added.

"So it is time for him to make his peace with whatever gods he believes in, and then we are going to send him to meet them" The twins pointed their wands downward, but Albus pointed his wand at them.

"Stop this foolishness - this man will be a good source of intelligence"

"Overwatch?" Padma asked.

"Do it" Percival replied.

"Now" Neville added.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" The twins whipped their wands up, and the first disarming spell hit Minerva while the second hit Albus. Both teachers were knocked backwards, and a second later Padma caught Albus' wand while Parvati caught Minerva's.

"We don't want to tie you up, but we will if we have to" Levi drew his wand and covered them, as did Alex and Alver "So I suggest you sit there, and think about your life choices" He glanced at the twins "Go ahead - they won't bother you"

"Severus Snape - your time in this world is up, and your life is over. May the gods have mercy on your soul, because no one in this world will miss you" Padma said quietly, then she pointed her wand at him "AVADA KEDAVRA!" She took a deep breath, then looked over at Albus and Minerva.

"Professor McGonagall - I apologise for disarming you, but your loyalty to Dumbledore is well known. But if you promise me now that you will continue to fulfil your oath, I will return your wand" Minerva stared up at her, then slowly got to her feet.

"I swore that oath in good faith, and thought I might disapprove of what you've done, I understand why you did it" She took a deep breath "I understand why you might doubt me, but I am willing to keep to my oath" Parvati gazed at her, then slowly handed over her wand. Padma smiled, then turned to Albus.

"I am afraid that you will receive no such offer, Mister Dumbledore - you drew you wand against your team leaders while in the field. Under most circumstances that would be classified as treason, or mutiny, and is punishable by death" She paused "However given we are not lunatics, nor are we Death Eaters, your punishment will be up to either The Angels, The French Government or the new British Government - should we win the day"

"May I at least have my wand back?" He asked.

"No" Padma shook her head, then she looked up as the rest of the teams entered "Is the castle clear?"

"It is" The first team leader said.

"Okay" Padma nodded "Time for step 2"

xoxox

Blake and Percy followed Antoinette and Lavender along the corridor, then stopped as they heard screaming from a side room.

"Marie, Percy - take either end of the corridor" Blake said, drawing her wand without hesitating "Lilac - with me" They strode along the corridor, then as Blake drew her wand, Lavender kicked the door open.

"INCENDIO!" Blake yelled at the top of her voice, then watched as the two Death Eaters dropped to the floor. A moment later Lavender hit both of them with killing curses, and they didn't get up. They then turned and looked at the figure that was strung up by his hands.

"Cormac?" Lavender walked over to him, then looked at Blake "Hold him up?" Blake nodded and walked over, then slipped her arms around him.

"Diffindo" Lavender sliced the ropes over his head, and then they slowly lowered him down to the floor.

"Overwatch - I'm sending you Cormac McClaggen - he's seriously injured. The LeStrange brothers were torturing him.when we killed them" Blake said "He'll need taking to the infirmary"

"Got it" Percival's voice replied.

"Where's Angel Five?" Blake asked in surprise as she pressed a disc into Cormac's hand.

"On his way to the school - we've retaken it, and he's about to go and set up the basic wards" Percival said, and she could tell he was smiling "There are a few other things going on, but you should wait until you come home"

"Nothing we need to know?" Blake arched her eyebrows.

"Not now - when you come home" Percival insisted.

"Okay" She nodded.

"You know I can't see you when you nod" He said "Or when you arch your eyebrows"

"I actually do know that" She grinned "ANGEL ANGEL ANGEL" 

"Wow that's loud" He said "And....... he's here - we'll take care of him. Now - go, do good" He paused "More good"

"We will" She turned back to Lavender "Cormac's safe, and Angel Five is on his way to seal off the school" She smiled "So - time to finish this"

xoxox

Neville apparated into The Great Hall and looked around.

"Mister Longbottom" Padma said, her voice becoming more formal "Welcome to Hogwarts. According to all of our teams, the school has been secured"

"Thank you, Padma" Neville straightened slightly, then glanced over to where three of the team were pointing their wands at Albus "He really drew his wand on you?"

"On both of us, sir" Padma nodded, and Neville blinked in surprise.

"Sir?" He asked.

"You don't have to call me sir" Padma smiled. Neville rolled his eyes.

"I mean - why are you......"

"Because you are about to take over the wards and become the acting Headmaster of Hogwarts" She said "It is a position that demands some respect" She smiled "We can take you to the wardstone now, sir"

"Thank you - after I've brought up the wards I will want to address the children. If you could bring them here?" He paused, then glanced at Severus' body "I guess we should tidy that up first?"

"We'll see to it, sir"

"You know - if you can't call me Neville, I think I can live with Headmaster" He suggested.

"I think I can live with that, Headmaster" She replied "Now - if you'd like to follow me" She lead him out of The Hall, and down towards the basement of the school.

xoxox

Percy, Blake and Kenny lined up in front of the large black door, then looked at the other four members of their team.

"Based on the reports from everywhere else, The Emperor should be accompanied by Lucius, Draco and Bellatrix - all the other Death Eaters are accounted for, mostly by being dead" Blake said "My suggestion is we open fire as soon as we go in. Even if we can't kill The Emperor, we could probably hurt him a lot"

"Seems reasonable" Percy shrugged.

"Anyone disagree with Plan Grond?" Blake asked and then - when no one said anything - they all drew their wands.

"On zero" She paused "Three. Two. One. Zero!" 

" **R E D U C T O**!" All seven of them fired blasting curses at the same time. The doors bent, buckled and exploded inwards. 

"R E D....."

"You can come in" A whispering, seductive voice said "I wish to talk to you before you kill me"

"Why would we do that?" Percy called out.

"Because there's much I can teach you before I leave this world" There was a pause "Including who your enemies really are"

"We know who our enemies are, my Lord Emperor" Blake replied "And we know where our future lies"

"Are you sure? The voice gave a slight laugh "You have come to retake the country and hand it back to the fools who let me take it the first time. It will merely be a matter of time before the world will fall to my cause again - before I return and take this world and turn it into the paradise we all wish it to be"

"Oh Tom, you poor deluded fool" Blake said, shaking her head "Your entire army is dead. Diagon Alley and Hogmseade have risen up against your Aurors, Knockturn Alley is in flames, The Hogwarts Express has been destroyed and the Death Eaters are on buried under the wreckage. We torched the MBRDC just to watch it burn and killed everyone in there just to watch them die" She paused "And Hogwarts is ours - as we speak a new Headmaster is being inducted" 

"I have thousands of followers - you can never kill them all. They will rise up again and they will bring me back" 

"I'm getting bored" Percy said "Can we just kill him now?"

"On zero" Blake said "ZERO!" 

xoxox

Padma lead Neville into a large chamber, then stopped at the door as Neville walked into the middle to find himself facing a large block of stone with various symbols inscribed on it.

"Headmaster - you have to bind with the stone, and then command it to bring up the wards that we collapsed" Padma said "Raise your wand and point it at the stone"

"You know this would be easier if you were stood closer" He said over his shoulder.

"I'm sure it would, Headmaster, but the stone will bond with the person who is closest and it has to be you - otherwise I'm going to have to stay here with you for the rest of your tenure as Headmaster" She replied apologetically.

"Would that be so bad?" He asked. Padma smiled.

"Lets blow up that bridge when we come to it" She said "Please - raise you wand and repeat after me"

xoxox

Parvati walked over to where Minerva and Alex were stood.

"Once Mister Longbottom has brought the wards up again, he will become the defacto Headmaster of Hogwarts" She said calmly "And along with the new Minister and Chief Warlock they will be interviewing all the new staff who will be applying for jobs here"

"But the charter......" Minerva started, then stopped as Parvati held up her hand.

"The Ministry and Wizengamot won't be interfering with Hogwarts on a day to day basis, however a large number of staff have retired, a large number have been killed and a large number have left for other reasons" Parvati paused "Asking Mister Longbottom - who will have been in the job for a few days - to interview replacements for the entire faculty would be cruel and unusual punishment. Which would be a terrible thing for a mere mortal, but for someone who just helped save magical society as we know it is beyond evil" She smiled "This is a one time thing, and they are only going to be there to advise and consent and to provide Mister Longbottom with help" Minerva stared at her for a moment, then nodded.

"I suppose that makes sense" She said "I take it that I will be required to re-interview for my job"

"For the Head of Gryffindor position, and Transfiguration Professor" Parvati nodded "However I have it on good authority that Professor Flitwick is probably going to be the Deputy Head"

"I suppose that almost makes sense" Minerva nodded again. She glanced at Albus "The Headmaster?"

"He is under arrest for treason and mutiny" Parvati said calmly "Even if he is not convicted, I doubt that Mister Longbottom is going to want him at Hogwarts" She paused, then smiled "Do you hear that?"

"Wha....." Minerva trailed off as she realised she could hear the sound of a thousand voices singing "Oh - that"

"Mister Longbottom has reraised the wards" Parvati said "And he has become Headmaster of Hogwarts" She looked over at where Albus was still sat in the corner, looking miserable "Okay - now that the basic wards have been brought back up, we can bring the students down here" She looked around "Minerva - can you go and get the Gryffindors? Alver - the Hufflepuffs? Alex - the Ravenclaws? Levi, James - the Slytherins?"

"Yes, boss" They all walked out of The Hall. 

"Why are you sending two agents to fetch the Slytherins, Miss Patil?" Albus asked.

"Up until now this has been a Death Eater play pen, and thanks to your complete lack of moral leadership the Slytherins have got the idea that they can do anything without any punishment" She paused "So I am sending two of my associates to bring them down here so that Mister Longbottom can explain what the new regime is - and why everyone will be treated equally until or unless they behave in a way that forces us to treat them differently" She smiled "It is a new day, Mister Dumbledore - and we are going to welcome our students to it all at once"

xoxox

Draco opened his eyes, then blinked a few times.

The last thing he remembered was being hit by a blasting curse, flying backwards and knocking his head against the wall. He also remembered the other people in the room - his father, his aunt and The Emperor - getting knocked off their feet as well. 

Reaching for his wand, he realised it wasn't there.

"Looking for this, Draco?" A voice above him asked. He looked up to see a figure in a scarlet cloak staring down at him "You know - Blake called dibs on killing you if you were here, but since she's a little busy right now, I think I'm going to enjoy the irony of you being killed with your own wand"

"Blake?" He asked, head still fuzzy.

"She's an old friend of yours" The figure said "One you bullied, tortured and abused for four years. Just like the rest of your school mates" She raised his wand and pointed it at him "Say good night, Draco - time's up"

xoxox

Antoinette and Olympe stood at the door and watched as Percy, Blake and Kenny all duelled Voldemort at once. The Angels whirled, span and dodged in perfect synchronicity so that Voldemort couldn't strike at any of them and couldn't strike at anyone else.

Their initial strikes had killed Lucius, and left Draco, Bellatrix and Voldemort stunned. The Angels had launched a vicious, blistering attack on Voldemort - driving him back and onto the defensive - while Fleur and Lavender had followed up by splitting off and taking care of Bellatrix and Draco.

"Do you think we should help them?" Olympe asked.

"Honestly?" Antoinette shook her head "I think we'd only get in the way - just look at them" They continued to watch as Blake, Percy and Kenny drove Voldemort further and further back, until they'd backed him into a corner.

"Draco is dead" Lavender said, walking back to join them.

"Bellatrix is too" Fleur added.

"Start setting the charges" Olympe said "Once they've dealt with him......"

"No" Lavender shook her head "The Angels have a different idea" She paused "We have four wardstones to place around The Dark Tower" She smiled "Blue, Artemis - wait here. Marie - come with me"

xoxox

Neville walked back into The Great Hall to find the students lined up by year and by House, with a few of The Angels' agents stood at the end of the rows and Albus was no where to be seen.

He walked over to where Parvati was stood.

"Where's Dumbledore?" He asked quietly.

"Under guard in the antechamber" She replied "I thought you could explain things, and wait for Angel Five or the new Chief Warlock to arrive" Neville smiled.

"Very well" Neville nodded, then he strode down the length of The Hall an turned to stand in front of the student body.

"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Neville Longbottom and as of ten minutes ago I became your new Headmaster" He paused "As of now, Hogwarts is no longer under the control of The Emperor, but under the control of The British Ministry of Magic" There was a huge wave of cheers and applause "Thank you", but you should save your applause for the true heroes of the piece - The Angels of Arven. They have retaken magic Britain and are - as we speak - ridding the country of the last scourge of Voldemort's army" He paused.

"Hogwarts will be closed until next the first of January. We have to repair the damage done during the liberation, repair the wards properly and we have to employ a whole bunch of new staff" He smiled "I understand how the school has been run for the past three years - that stops now. When it re-opens in January, you will be expected to treat each other with respect and dignity, and anyone who doesn't will face discipline" He smiled.

"It is a brand new day, and I expect everyone to behave like it"

xoxox

Blake threw a blasting curse towards Voldemort, forcing him to jerk sideways. 

"ACCIO THRONE!" Percy yelled, summoning the large, ornate chair from the centre of the room. It flew across the gap and smashed into Voldemort, knocking him sideways and off his feet.

"Is that the best you've got?" He growled "Tricks and pathetic curses?"

"REDUCTO!"  
"REDUCTO!"   
"REDUCTO!" 

The three blasting curses hit him at the same time, breaking both his legs. He fell to the ground.

"ACCIO WAND!" Blake yelled.

"ACCIO LEFT LEG!" Percy yelled. 

Voldemort's wand flew to Blake's hand, while his left leg stretched a little and cracked again, making him scream. 

Kenny walked over to him, and stared down at the prone form.

"You think you've killed me, but I will return" Voldemort said, coughing slightly "I am immortal - unkillable. Only one person on this earth could kill me for good - and he is dead"

"Are you sure about that, Tom?" He asked, then he cancelled the glamour on his face, revealing the messy black hair, the scar and the glasses.

"Potter" Voldemort stared at him "But...... you died......"

"And after tonight, I'll be dead again" He smiled "Enjoy hell, Tom - I am sure there will be enough of your friends there to welcome you" He drew his wand "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

xoxox

Lavender and Antoinette turned as The Angels, Olympe and Fleur walked out of The Manor House.

"He's dead?" Antoinette asked.

"Really most sincerely dead" Kenny asked, his glamour now back in place "So Lavender says you have a plan?"

"We do" Blake said "Are the wardstones in place?"

"Yes" Lavender nodded.

"Are you sure?" Blake pressed "Because you know what we're going to do next, and if they are a fraction out of place then we are going to have far more problems than a Dark Lord on our hands"

"I have done it right, I promise" Lavender smiled.

"Sorry" Blake apologised sheepishly "I didn't mean to be snappish" Lavender shrugged.

"It's been a long day" She said "I still love you"

"Hey - hands off" Percy said "She's mine!"

"Sorry sweetie" Lavender grinned "But I still love you too"

"D'awwwwwww - that's so sweet" Percy blushed "Anyway - we should get to it. Blue, Artemis, Marie - if you could step outside the area marked out by the wardstones" She waited until they had done so.

"Lilac, Blake, Kenny - with me" They took a few steps back until they were at the edge of the ward stones "Blake - first floor window on the right. Kenny - first floor window on the left. Lilac - front door. Ready?"

"Yes"  
"Yes"  
"Yes"

"On zero" She paused "Three. Two. One. ZERO!"

"Mal ingatum"  
"Mal ingatum"  
"Mal ingatum"  
"Mal ingatum"

Four bursts of bright yellow flame shot from their wands and into The Manor House. A moment later, it burst into flames.

They watched for a moment as the fiendfyre started to consume the building, then they all turned and walked outside of the warded area.

Blake turned back and smiled as she saw a completely empty space.

"It's burning?" Olympe asked.

"More fiendfyre than I have ever seen before" Blake nodded "It will destroy everything - The Manor, the bodies, the ashes, any evidence left behind, and everything up to the wards. And then it will burn itself out" She paused "We can come back in a week and remove the wardstones - or we can just leave them there for the rest of time just to be sure"

"Sounds like a plan" Antoinette said "So - home?"

"Home" Blake nodded. One by one they apparated away until only she was left. She stared at the warded area for a moment and then turned on the spot on the vanished.

xoxox

She reappared in the chamber of the round table to find Percival standing there, looking at them with a wide smile.

"So - he's dead? It's over?" He asked. Blake looked at her friends, and smiled.

"Yes" She said "It's over"


	19. Epilogue 1 - One Week Later

"Minister Weasley? The Chief Warlock and Headmaster are here to see you" Percival smiled, then stood up.

"Please show them in" He said. A moment later, Amelia and Neville walked in "Welcome - please have a seat" 

"Thank you"

"Thank you"

"So - how goes it?" Percival asked.

"We have arranged emergency elections for The Wizengamot" Amelia said "They will take place in one month's time - unlike the normal elections they will only hold their posts for a year then they will have to be re-elected" She paused "It is not ideal, but the election cycle is usually three months for a three year period, and everyone who is willing to stand understands what is going on"

"Ministry appointments are going well" Percival smiled "The key posts have all been filled and I am pretty sure we'll have everyone we need once The Wizengamot posts are filled" He looked at Neville "Just in time to help you with the posts at Hogwarts"

"We are still rebuilding the wards, and making sure there are no buried spells left behind by Albus" Neville sighed "Even after we collapsed the wards and they rebonded with me, there were still half a dozen tripwards buried around the castle - wards that if he had managed to trip them would have brought down anything we set up"

"Wow" Amelia exclaimed.

"We've hired Gringotts to come in and do a full investigation - they are doing complete scans of every floor and every building" Neville took a deep breath "It will make the process slightly faster but they are still estimating two weeks"

"Neville - Headmaster......" Percival closed his eyes "I want permission under the emergency charter to send a squad of Aurors to patrol the grounds until you are certain that the wards are fully secure" Neville arched his eyebrows.

"I have no problem with that, but may I ask why, sir?" Neville asked.

"Two reasons" Percival glanced at Amelia "The first is because of what we discussed - which we will come to in a moment" Neville nodded "And the second is because of this" He handed Neville a piece of parchment. Neville looked down at it, skimmed through it then read through it again.

"He escaped?" He asked, looking up at Amelia and Percival.

"He was being transferred to trial, and he summoned his phoenix and escaped" Percival nodded "All of the Aurors are on alert for him, and I've spoken to The Prime Minister - the muggle police force is also looking out for him as well. Wherever Albus Dumbledore is, I don't think we will see him in The UK for a while yet"

"And yet you want to sent a squad of Aurors to defend the school - a mostly empty school that really only has staff in it" Neville smiled.

"Better safe than sorry" Amelia said. Neville grinned.

"Okay then" He nodded "I'll sign the letter when I get back, but consider it authorised under the blah-blah-blah"

"Thank you" Percival made a note on the pad in front of him "So - to our final bit of business" He looked at Amelia "Madame Chief Warlock - I'd like you to take over Acting Minister for a week"

"Okay" She nodded "Why?"

"Filius is taking over as Acting Headmaster for the same length of time" Neville said.

"Oh" Amelia paused, then her eyes widened "Oh - that makes sense I suppose. 

"We should only be gone for a week" Percival said "And you can get in touch with both of us at the school if we're needed"

"Then I will see you in a week" She said "Say hi to The Angels for me"

xoxox

The following morning, Neville and Percival apparated into the grounds at Beauxbatons and walked up to the school. They were met by Olympe, who lead them through the school and into the meeting room behind the tapestry.

"Minister, Headmaster" Blake smiled, while River ran over and gave them both a big hug. 

"Blake, River" Neville smiled, then turned to the third person in the room "Kenny" Kenny smiled, then pulled him in to a hug.

"Nev" He said, then gave Percival a hug as well "It's good to see you both"

"So - how are you both doing?" Percival asked "How's the adjustment to normal life?"

"Surprisingly easy" Percy replied "Not having to wonder if we'll be in Britain tomorrow, not worrying about fighting Death Eaters, not having to plan how to distract Aurors so we can break people out of prison" She smiled "After today we won't even need to be Percy, Blake or Kenny any more"

"Not even for......"

"No" Blake smiled "We're going to be us - the real us" Neville and Percival looked at them.

"Okay" Neville said "We'll keep that in mind" He paused "Will Angel One be joining you?"

"She will" Kenny said with a proud smile "Now that the war is over, she is ready to come out of the bunker, so to speak"

"I'll keep that in mind as well" Percival smiled "So - to business"

"TO BUSINESS!" Blake, Percy and Kenny said in unison, making Percival roll his eyes.

"Sorry" Percy smirked "Force of habit" She gestured to the seats "Have a seat, and we'll go through the lists"

xoxox

Albus stood on the hill, staring down at the convent building. 

The future of magical Britain was being decided, and he was being left out of it because he had tried not to act like a blood thirsty maniac killing anyone who moved.

He turned and walked back into the forest, considering his future - a future that had been made a great deal more difficult by the loss of his wand. Apparently the Patil girl hadn't figured out just what she had gained when she had disarmed him him, but he was fairly sure even if he could get to her and disarm her, he wouldn't regain the mastery of the wand - once it was gone, it was gone for good.

He walked deeper into the woods, then - when he was sure he was far enough away - he stopped. With a final glance over his shoulder, he turned on the spot and vanished.

xoxox

"Thank you for this" Neville looked down "So Ernie, Terry, Orla and Jason - along with Hagrid, Rolanda and Septimus are all staying here?"

"Yes" Blake nodded "Also Remus and Tonks - they said they can't face returning to Britain after their stint in prison"

"They've all been granted permanent citizenship" Percy said "And Remus has been offered a job here when he is ready, the same for Tonks with the French DMLE"

"Good" Percival smiled "I'm glad they'll be taken care of" He paused "What about the rest? Will their French citizenship be revoked?"

"No" Kenny shook his head "They will have dual citizenship from now on. France is grateful for their sacrifices, and is a nation that shows its gratitude to those who earn it" He paused "We will arrange portkeys for everyone - they'll be returned to Diagon Alley, just outside The Ministry - six days time?"

"We can have everything ready for then" Percival nodded. 

"Then we'll call it settled" Blake smiled "So - you've got a week off. What are you going to do?"

"We were thinking some sight-seeing" Percival looked at Neville "Mostly we just wanted to get away from Britain for a while - you have no idea what trying to rebuild an entire nation is like. Turns out - quite hard work"

"Who knew?" Percy asked in surprise. 

xoxox

Five days later, The Angels met with Percival, Neville, Cho, Hannah, Lavender, Olympe and Antoinette in Olympe's office.

"There's one last thing we need to discuss" Percival said "We are taking the rescued home tomorrow, and that will probably be the end of The Angels, at least as a group" He paused "There are only two other people who know the truth - the real truth - about who you are" He looked at River, Francis and Jayce "Now that the war is over, and Voldemort is gone, it is up to you if you want the truth to stay hidden"

"Yes"  
"Yes"  
"Yes"

"Well - that was simple" Percival smiled. Jayce laughed.

"We've been thinking about this a lot, and we have no desire to return to Britain" He said "Harry, Luna and Hermione don't belong there any more - our lives are here now"

"And really - what do we owe that country?" Luna asked "They were willing to sell Harry and Hermione down the river just because they were inconvenient. They were going to kill Hermione just because she was expendable" Percival opened his mouth, but Luna raised her hand "I know that isn't the society you are creating, and not the society we'll be returning to, but it is the country that screwed us over"

"And if we return then everyone is going to be falling over themselves to forgive us, and to hold us up as heroes and their saviours" Hermione shook her head "I cannot think of anything more annoying" Percival laughed.

"Okay" He nodded "Then The Ministry will keep your secret" He looked around "And I assume the same can be said for everyone else here?" Everyone else in the room nodded.

"In which case there is one last thing" He smiled "My first act when I return will be to ensure that Harry James Potter and Hermione Jane Granger will receive posthumous pardons for their crimes" He paused "If only because I think it will be funny to watch everyone go nuts when I do it"


	20. Epilogue 2 - September 1st 1999

"Nervous?" Percival glanced across at Neville.

"Could not be less so" Neville replied, smiling back at him "If I can tell my Gran about us, I can face an army of students on my first full day as Headmaster" Percival laughed.

"That's the spirit" Percival laughed, then they turned as students started to come through the portal to the platform "Come along - lets go greet your new students"

xoxox

Quarter of an hour later - at eleven am - Neville and Percival stood on the engine block of the new Express and looked down at the students.

"Welcome!" He said "For those of you who don't know me, my name is Neville Longbottom, and I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts. For all our new first years - welcome. For all our returning students - welcome back" He smiled "This fine gentlemen next to me is the Minister of Magic, Percival Ignatius Weasley" Percival blushed slightly but gave a polite nod.

"We are going to accompany you up on The Express, so feel free to come and ask us any questions you might want to ask us - we will be in the last compartment and our door will be open for the whole trip" He paused "So - if you would like to board the train, you can start your journey to school now" He smiled as the students start to walk along the platform, then he turned to Percival.

"Shall we?"

xoxox

Percival stared out of the window, and smiled.

"Do you think we can do this every year?" He looked over at Neville "Because I had entirely forgotten just how breathtaking this landscape is"

"I was considering making it a regular thing" Neville admitted "But it does depend on whether....." He stopped as there was a knock on the compartment door "...... we serve a purpose" He waved his hand and the door slid back "Please - come in"

"Thank you" Two fifth year girls came in - by their robes, Neville judged them to be Slytherins.

"So, ladies, how are you enjoying the trip?" He asked as they took a seat.

"It's okay, Headmaster" The first girl said "But we just wanted to talk to you about something"

"Go ahead" Neville smiled. The girls glanced at Percival, but Neville waved his hand.

"You can trust The Minister - he won't go talking out of school" He said, then smiled "Or in school, for that matter" The second girl laughed.

"We were walking down the passage in the third compartment, and we heard some of our Housemates using...... language" She said, her face turning serious. Neville blinked, then leaned forward.

"And by language I am guessing it is not the sort I would approve of?" He asked.

"Of which you would approve" Percival interjected, then - when they all turned to stare at him - he smirked "Sorry - force of habit"

"Well - setting aside my boyfriend's disapproval of my language" Neville said "Would I most likely find the language you heard unacceptable?" The two girls exchanged glances, then they both nodded.

"Okay" Neville paused "But I would also be willing to be that you aren't going to tell me who you saw, because it is the first day and you don't want to be known as the Headmaster's pet, or a snitch" He saw them frown "It's a muggle term - meaning someone who tells tales on their friends"

"We heard you speech on the day Britain was liberated" The first girl said "And we don't want to go back to the way things were"

"But we also want to stay friends with our housemates and not make enemies of anyone" The second girl continued.

"I can understand that" Neville replied "Although there may come a day when you may have to make a choice"

"We know" They said in unison, then the second girl added "We just hoped that by telling you it might help stop anything before it starts" She paused, then glanced at Percival "Not that you can stop something before it starts, of course" Percival laughed.

"I am very grateful" Neville said "And I will ensure I keep an eye on everything" He smiled "Is there anything else?"

"No - thank you Headmaster" They both stood up and then left the compartment. Percival watched them leave, then turned back to Neville.

"So - looks like it won't be as straightforward as we'd hoped?" He said.

"I guess not" Neville sighed, then he shrugged and smiled "On the other hand, at least we some foreknowledge this time - and forearmed is forewarned"

"Always good" Percival returned his smile.

xoxox

Amelia stood on the platform at Hogmseade and watched as The Express pulled into the station.

"If you will excuse me, Amelia, I have to go" Filius said, then he strolled along the platform as the students started to disembark.

"FIRST YEARS" Filius bellowed in a surprisingly loud voice "FIRST YEARS THIS WAY" 

"Bet you didn't realise he could shout that loud, right?" Neville said, walking up beside her.

"I really had no idea" Amelia admitted "So - was the trip worthwhile?"

"It was" Percival said, walking up beside his boyfriend "Eight or nine visits from around two dozen students" He paused "That was two dozen in total - I don't mean that two dozen students came by eight or nine times each"

"I understood that" Amelia smiled.

"Well - I was getting on Neville's case for using language imprecisely, so I just thought I'd make myself clear" Percival grinned "I think it will be well worth the effort of doing it again"

"Glad to hear it" She smiled "So - shall we?"

xoxox

Half an hour later, as The Sorting came to an end, Neville stood up. 

"To all our new students - congratulations on getting into your new Houses" He smiled "So now - let the feast begin!" He waved his hands and the plates filled up. He smiled, then sat down.

"Well done" Amelia said from his left.

"I always used to wonder how Albus made it look so easy" Neville admitted "But it turns out he triggered a spell that informed The House Elves to get to work" He shrugged "So it was almost nothing to do with him and everything to do with them"

"So he was taking credit for someone else's work?" Amelia arched her eyebrows "That sounds familiar" She paused "I take it he hasn't tried to get in touch with you?"

"No" Neville shook his head "Nor the Angels, out of interest" He paused "Though do you really think if he had we would have kept it to ourselves?" Amelia laughed.

"I suppose not" She admitted.

"Honestly? I can't imagine he's going to come to me. We did not get on that well in France and I haven't endeared myself to him all that much with my actions during the liberation" He paused "Minerva has promised to tell me if he gets in contact with her or anyone who was in The Order"

"And The Ministry are still treating him as a wanted criminal - he has an outstanding warrant from his escape during the mission to retake Hogwarts" Percival added.

"There's a chance there are some former Order members who might put their loyalty to him above their loyalty to the new government" Neville finished "But only a very few"

"So where do you think he is?" Amelia asked.

"America maybe" Percival said "Or Russia. Maybe Israel or Austria" He paused "Countries that aren't friendly to us and are more likely to favour his way of doing things" He shrugged "Quite honestly as long as he stays out of Britain and stays out of our way then I really don't give a crap where he is"

"I can understand that" Amelia smiled.

"And the longer it takes him to find out about the pardons for Harry and Hermione, the better" Percival added "Because that is essentially another 'screw you' to his legacy and I can't see him taking it all that well"

"Not to mention the exchange program" Neville smirked "And the curriculum changes, and basically everything else we've changed about his time here" He paused "Is it wrong that I am finding it so satisfying that everything I am doing is just obliterating him from our world forever?"

"No" Amelia and Percival said in unison, making him laugh.

"Good to know" He said, then he suddenly looked up, an expression of surprise on his face "Well - I have to admit, I did not realise they could still do that"

"Who could do what?" Amelia asked curiously. 

"Oh - I'll explain in a moment" He said "Percival - I am afraid the next five minutes are going to be slightly uncomfortable for you" He paused "But in my defence it is something that I know you will forgive me for"

"It is?" Percival stared at him curiously. 

"I am pretty sure" Neville nodded "So please don't ask me why, but if you could go and wait in The Entrance Hall for a few moments - and then come in when the others do" Percival stared at him in complete bemusement, then shrugged.

"After all this time, I've learned not to question you, so okay" He stood up and walked down the length of The Great Hall and opened the doors and disappeared in to The Entrance Hall. 

A moment later, George, Fred, Bill, Charlie, Ron and Ginny walked in, all looking slightly surprised, followed by Mr and Mrs Chang and Mr and Mrs Abbott. 

"Thank you for coming - if you'd like to take a seat, I promise this will all make sense in a few moments" He said, then he waved his hand and triggered a spell that would magnify his voice. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, students - if I might have your attention" He said "As you can see we have been joined by some special guests. This is because tonight is a special evening. Tonight we are going to honour some of the heroes of the liberation war" He smiled.

"While it is true everyone who fought put their lives on the line to ensure Britain could be returned to its people, there were some who went above and beyond what was called for, and who did far more than was ever expected of them - even giving their life in one case" He saw The Weasleys all stare at him in surprise. 

"And so we are here tonight to honour these people to who we owe our freedom, and our future" He turned, and picked up a wooden case.

"Molly Weasley fought for the light her entire life. From the moment she joined The Order of The Phoenix she stayed true in her devotion to the notion that everyone deserved the right to be treated equally. When Britain fell, she could have run - she could have fled the country - but she didn't, despite knowing the risks. Even when she lost her husband to Voldemort's army, she stayed and continued the fight" He looked down to see The Weasleys smiling proudly "And when The Angels came to rescue her and her family, and we were trapped in their house, instead of choosing freedom and to escape with her children, she willingly stayed behind to detonate an explosion that took half a dozen Death Eaters with her" He paused, then picked up a medal from the box.

"Molly Weasley was a true example to all of us - of dedication, of heroism and of what it means to fight for the light and fight for what is right. And so - on her behalf - her son Percival Weasley is here to accept an Order of Merlin First Class" There was a huge round of applause as Percival walked into The Hall and up the central aisle. He stopped in front of Neville, gave a deep bow, then took the medal from him reverently. 

"Thank you" He said "I promise that I, and my family, will treasure this for ever" He gave another bow, then turned, but before he could walk away, Neville reached out and touched his shoulder.

"When Britain fell, Percival Weasley stayed n The Ministry - working as a double agent. He risked his life every day to ensure he could save as many first born witches and wizards as possible. And during the time he served in this role, he saved countless lives, including my own, and whose intelligence lead directly to the end of the war" He smiled at the man in front of him "Without Mister Weasley, The Angels would have died aborning, and the outcome of the war would have been very, very different. So - for his bravery and his brilliance, I am so very proud to present an Order of Merlin, First Class, to Mister Percival Weasley" Percival stared at him in mounting surprise, then gave another bow - this time blushing wildly, before taking the second medal from him.

"Thank you again" He said, then he smirked "Am I safe to go this time?"

"Yes" Neville smiled widely, and Percival gave another bow, then turned and walked down the side of The Hall to join his family.

"Hannah Abbott and Cho Chang both risked their lives to save Percival Weasley in an emergency extraction. One night, we got word that his cover had been blown - that a Ministry hit squad were coming from him, and that he would be dead before dawn. So without planning, without backup and without any distractions we went to Percival's home to extract him. Facing stiff resistance from a squad of Aurors, we rescued him and brought him safely home" He paused as Cho and Hannah walked into The Hall "So for courage and steadfastness under fire, and for their devotion to duty in the face of overwhelming odds, I present Cho Chang and Hannah Abbott with Orders of Merlin, First Class" The two young women walked up and came to a halt in front of him, then bowed. They both took the medals, then bowed again and walked off to one side.

"Finally......"

"One moment" Amelia said, and Neville stopped.

"While your Headmaster is naturally modest, and will never admit to his own role in the war, Neville Longbottom was codenamed Angel Five. He was the first of the rescued to be taken into the confidence of The Angels, and he was the guiding force behind all of the extraction missions" Amelia looked at Neville with near reverence "He took the role of Overwatch when Hannah and her family, Orla and Jason and Susan and I were rescued. He helped extract Ron and Cho when they were to be executed and he prepared and planned the extraction of dozens of prisoners from Azkaban" She paused, then smiled.

"Along with Percival, he has done more than anyone else to ensure Britain was freed and returned to its legitimate government. And so for that, and for his unstinting loyalty, bravery and wisdom, I present Mister Neville Longbottom with an Order of Merlin, First Class" The entire Hall seemed to burst into applause as Neville - blushing bright red - bowed deeply before Amelia, then took the medal that she held out to him. He looked at it, then gave her another bow.

"Thank you, Amelia" He said "I will treasure this forever"

"It is well deserved" She said. He blushed, then gave a single nod. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, students, honoured guests, Members of The Order of Merlin" He paused "While all of these awards have been well deserved, there are four more awards - because while we have all worked in the service of the light, we all worked in the service of four people" He smiled "Four people who formed a group to rescue the first born wizards and witches who were placed in danger by the rise of Voldemort's Empire. Who repeatedly put their lives on the line to rescue people they barely knew. Who were willing to risk everything to do what was right, instead of what was easy" He reached down into the box and laid out four medals.

"I realise that it has long been thought there were only three Angels - Percy, Blake and Kenny" He said "However the fourth Angel - Angel One - has kept her identity secret for her own safety" He smiled "But now that the war is over, and their futures are decided, all four of them have come out of the closet" He paused "So to speak" He looked up at the doors to The Entrance Hall.

"So - ladies and gentlemen, students, honoured guests and Members of The Order of Merlin can I please ask you to be upstanding?" He paused as everyone rose to their feet "And may I introduce River McConnell, Francis Jones, Jayce McConnell and Gabrielle Delacour"

The four French students walked in to a thunderous round of applause from everyone, including Neville and Amelia. 

As they stood just inside the doors of The Great Hall, Neville smiled.

"Ladies and gentlemen" Neville said with a smile "THE ANGELS OF ARVEN!"


End file.
